The two first-year students have filed a formal complaint with the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Delhi, alleging that they were dragged to the Lal Quila Police Booth, where “policemen who can [be] identified by face, including Satyaprakash and Raviranga, started beating us in front of the locals.”
Published Sep 26, 2025 | 10:44 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 26, 2025 | 10:44 PM
CPI(M) MP John Brittas said the students were "beaten on false accusations and for not speaking Hindi."
Synopsis: Two Keralite students studying at Delhi University have alleged custodial torture, physical assault, and racial harassment by Delhi Police following a confrontation with locals near the Red Fort on 24 September. The Students’ Federation of India intervened, leading to the students’ release, and has demanded an impartial inquiry while offering legal support. CPI(M) MP John Brittas and SFI leaders condemned the incident, alleging that the abuse was motivated by the students’ language and traditional attire.
Two first-year students from Kerala, studying at Zakir Husain College, Delhi University, have alleged severe racism, harassment, physical assault, and custodial torture by Delhi Police, following a confrontation with locals near Red Fort on 24 September.
Aswanth IT and Sudhin K, in a formal complaint submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Delhi, said they had gone to the market area near Red Fort between 6.30 and 7 pm on 24 September, when a man approached them trying to sell an Apple Watch and a phone, which they declined.
“Later, after five minutes, the same guy returned with a gang of 6-7 people and started to harass us, falsely accusing us of stealing a phone from them,” the complaint states.
Despite seeking help from a police officer present at the scene, identified as Raviranga, the students alleged that the officer “joined the mob who was harassing and assaulted us and even snatched our phone and gave it to the local who was claiming it as theirs.”
The two students were eventually released after activists of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) became aware of their detention, and SFI Delhi State President Sooraj Elamon and other activists intervened at the police station, leading to the students’ release.
CPI(M) MP John Brittas said the students were “beaten on false accusations and for not speaking Hindi, ridiculed for their traditional Kerala attire.” In a post on X, he said he had written to the Delhi Police Commissioner demanding immediate justice.
“This ordeal came from the very same people sworn to protect them. An affront to our Constitution & linguistic diversity,” he added.
Two young students from Kerala were brutally assaulted by a mob and the police in Delhi – beaten on false accusations and for not speaking Hindi, ridiculed for their traditional Kerala attire. This ordeal came from the very same people sworn to protect them.
An affront to our… pic.twitter.com/BOsP1goD1o— John Brittas (@JohnBrittas) September 26, 2025
Aswanth said he ran to the nearest police station when confronted by the mob, where locals reportedly barged in and attacked him.
“I was trying to talk to the police officer who was present there in the station. Even before I could present my case, the police officer started beating me up, listening to the locals. I tried to explain that I’m a first-year student hailing from Kerala, but even then he continued to beat me,” the complaint reads.
Sudhin was allegedly taken into custody and brought to the same police station, where both students say they faced further mistreatment.
From the police station, the two were allegedly dragged to the Lal Quila Police Booth, where, according to their complaint, “policemen who can [be] identified by face, including Satyaprakash and Raviranga, started beating us up in front of the locals.”
The students gave a detailed account of their treatment:
“Initially they slapped and abused us, asking us to sit. When we were trying to explain things in English, as we are not fluent in Hindi, we were beaten up using fibre lathis. We were abused demanding to speak in Hindi and beaten up even more asking the same. They got angrier as we couldn’t speak in Hindi; they stomped us on our body, even on my face. Sudhin was also stomped by the police.”
The complaint said the abuse included being forced to strip and being stomped with boots, as well as being hit with lathis on their knees and hands. The ordeal reportedly lasted nearly two hours and ended only when friends and SFI activists arrived at the police booth.
“All this harassment and assault we faced on the basis of false accusations, with no proof, with police siding with the assaulters. Amidst all these, my watch and chappals were stolen. We are still in so much pain and trauma for what we have faced from the very police system that should have protected us,” the students stated.
In their letter, Aswanth and Sudhin asked for a thorough investigation and justice: “We are bringing this to your attention in the hope that we will be given justice.”
A delegation of the SFI Delhi State Committee on Friday submitted formal complaints to the DCP North Delhi and the Police Complaint Authority of India, demanding an impartial inquiry into the officers’ conduct and the general lack of police accountability.
The delegation also filed an appeal with the Human Rights Commission.
Condemning the incident, the SFI said such attacks should not be seen as isolated cases. Outstation students have repeatedly faced harassment and threats, often with racial undertones.
SFI National Chief Adarsh M Saji said, “The safety and security of students must be a priority. Immediate action should be taken against the police personnel and individuals involved.”
The SFI also assured both students of full legal support, reiterating its commitment to seek justice and ensure the protection of all students, especially those from outside Delhi.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
