Neha Bora: Delhi Police deny detaining AISA chief in unmarked car
The student union leader was released at a police station in Narela after a brief detention that sparked a row over police conduct and unmarked vehicles.
Delhi Police have denied claims by student activists that they bundled the national president of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Neha Bora, into an unmarked private vehicle with no female officers present during a protest on Sunday.
The incident occurred near Jantar Mantar during the third consecutive day of demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Tensions peaked when Bora climbed onto police barricades at the Andhra Bhawan Circle on Ashoka Road as protesters tried to march to the designated protest site. After she was taken away, her supporters claimed she was held at an unknown location before being released at the Narela Industrial Area police station in north Delhi—allegedly without her phone or bag.
AISA accused the police of violating standard procedures by using a private car without official government number plates to transport their leader, and doing so without any female officers inside.
However, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma rejected this version of events. Sharma stated that Bora was detained in an official government vehicle with two female staff members present in the back seat before her release.
What triggered the protests?
The ongoing demonstrations in the capital are part of a wider campaign against alleged irregularities in the Election Commission's functioning, specifically surrounding the State Initiative/Registration (SIR) process and the mass deletion of names from voter lists.
Public anger has grown following reports that two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, formally objected on record at least 14 times over the last ten months to decisions and orders they said were issued without their knowledge.
The Election Commission has sought to downplay the rift, stating that differing opinions are a normal part of its internal deliberations and that all its orders carry full legal authority.
Mass detentions and political fallout
Delhi Police deployed around 5,000 personnel, including the Rapid Action Force and other paramilitary units, to block two scheduled protest marches on Sunday.
The crackdown extended beyond student activists. Police also detained members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bhardwaj, as they tried to march towards India Gate.
Bhardwaj accused the police of roughing him up during his detention. "They are picking me up and throwing me around like I am a football," Bhardwaj said, questioning the treatment of politicians and the public by security forces.
Sunday’s clashes follow days of mass detentions in central Delhi. More than 150 protesters were detained on Saturday, following 500 detentions on Friday. Friday's detainees also included Bora, several AAP leaders, and the activist Yogendra Yadav.
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Police and paramilitary deployment on Sunday | 5,000 | Delhi Police |
| Protesters detained on Saturday | 150 | Delhi Police |
| Protesters detained on Friday | 500 | Delhi Police |
| Recorded objections by two Election Commissioners over ten months | 14 | The Indian Express investigation |
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| Gyanesh Kumar | Chief Election Commissioner whose resignation is being demanded by protesters. |
| Neha Bora | National president of the All India Students' Association who was briefly detained. |
| All India Students' Association | Student group that organised the protest and raised concerns over Bora's detention. |
| Delhi Police | Law enforcement agency that managed the protests and detained activists. |
