Delhi Police have rejected allegations that excessive force was used against protesters during the July 20 Cockroach Janta Party-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar, telling the Supreme Court that the size of the gathering and subsequent clashes required a controlled police response.

In an affidavit filed in connection with four petitions seeking a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into alleged police excesses, the force said more than 30,000 people participated in the protest against the NEET paper leak. Police maintained that force was used only after barricades were breached and the situation became difficult to control.

According to Delhi Police, protesters were spread across a stretch of nearly three kilometres while around 5,000 personnel had been deployed to maintain security.

Police said the demonstration initially remained peaceful, but tensions escalated when sections of the crowd crossed barricades and attempted to move beyond the designated protest area.

The July 20 agitation included a planned march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament as part of the CJP campaign over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper leak. Independent reporting from the day also documented clashes between protesters and security forces as police attempted to stop the march.

The affidavit argues that the response by security personnel was “graded” and proportionate to the circumstances rather than indiscriminate.

Police said officers were required to prevent the protest from spreading into sensitive areas surrounding Parliament while simultaneously managing a crowd far larger than initially expected.

The contention is central to the case because petitioners have sought judicial scrutiny of the police response, alleging excessive use of force against student demonstrators.

Reports from the protest day said tear gas and batons were used as demonstrators attempted to proceed towards Parliament. Those reports have intensified scrutiny over whether the police response was proportionate, an issue that is now before the Supreme Court.

Delhi Police told the court that more than 240 police personnel were injured during the disturbances, while around 200 protesters also suffered injuries.

The affidavit further alleged that some anti-social elements and individuals with previous criminal records had entered the demonstration and contributed to the escalation.

These remain claims made by Delhi Police as part of their defence before the court and will be considered alongside the allegations raised by petitioners.

The scale of the injuries on both sides has made the July 20 protest one of the most closely watched confrontations between student demonstrators and Delhi Police in recent months.

Four connected petitions have sought a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the events surrounding the Jantar Mantar protest, placing the police handling of the demonstration under judicial examination.

The proceedings are expected to focus on whether the force used was necessary and proportionate, the circumstances in which barricades were breached and how authorities balanced security concerns with the right to peaceful protest.

Delhi Police maintain that officers acted with restraint while dealing with an unusually large and increasingly volatile gathering. Petitioners, meanwhile, have challenged the manner in which the protest was handled.

The Supreme Court’s consideration of the competing claims could have wider significance for future large-scale demonstrations in the national capital, particularly those involving restrictions around Parliament and other high-security areas.