“Helmet saved me from head injury”: Delhi Police SHO says he was dragged, assaulted by protestors

New Delhi [India], July 21 (ANI): Station House Officer (SHO) of Connaught Place police station Sukhbir Singh Malik on Tuesday said that he was assaulted by protesters on Monday when a mob turned violent near Regal Cinema, dragging him to the ground and injuring him.
Despite the injuries, he reported for duty at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday.
Malik told ANI that he was on duty in Connaught Place yesterday, where a crowd of around 5,000 people had gathered. Police repeatedly made announcements asking the crowd to vacate the area. Suddenly, a group of around 200 to 250 people from within the mob began pelting stones. Malik said he was dragged to the ground by protesters.
He said his helmet saved him from a head injury, but he sustained injuries to both elbows, his calf muscle, and his waist in the assault. He was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital for treatment.
He said several other personnel from Connaught Place police station were also injured in the violence, including ACP, an Inspector, a Head Constable and driver of his vehicle.
A Delhi Police Sub-Inspector was injured on Monday during violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators during Cockroach Janta Party's 'Sansad Chalo' march in central Delhi.
The confrontation erupted as law enforcement personnel attempted to stop hundreds of protesters from breaching police barricades and advancing into high-security zones near Parliament.
Describing the sequence of events, Sub-Inspector Srinivas Sharma detailed how personnel came under intense pressure while trying to enforce prohibitory orders in the New Delhi district.
"We were deployed on security duty to maintain law and order and enforce the prohibitory orders in place across the New Delhi district," Sub-Inspector Srinivas Sharma said. "While we were urging the crowd to remain peaceful and refrain from breaching the security perimeter, a group of demonstrators suddenly pushed forward against the barricades. In the resulting confrontation and scuffle, I sustained injuries while trying to hold the line", he said.
Officials had said yesterday that there was violence during the CJP march to Parliament and protesters attacked police personnel with stones and other objects, attempted to breach police barricades, vandalised police and other government vehicles, damaged public property, and resorted to large-scale violence, posing a threat to public order, the security arrangements in place, and the safety of police personnel performing their lawful duties.
They said 118 police personnel sustained injuries, including senior officers.
The officials said that violent mob also caused damage to public property and around 15 to 20 government vehicles, along with other government property, were vandalised.
Police had detained around 70 protesters yesterday. (ANI)