DCW takes out protest march; claims Delhi Police used 'force' against protesters

The Delhi Commission for Women on Thursday alleged that the police used "force" to disrupt its peaceful protest march to Parliament to demand capital punishment for rapists, injuring many of the protesters.

Police, however, denied the charges and said the protesters threw bangles at them.

Members of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) began their protest march from Rajghat.

They demanded justice for the 2012 Delhi gangrape victim and raised slogans like "We are ashamed that your rapists are still alive Nirbhaya".

They also demanded that all rapists be hanged within six months of their conviction.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal has been sitting on a fast unto death for the last 10 days at Samta Sthal, near Rajghat, demanding that the rapists of Nirbhaya be hanged immediately and fast track courts be set up in Delhi.

The protesters claimed that the Delhi Police stopped them near ITO and "brutally assaulted" them.

The DCW shared on Twitter images of those injured in the protest.

"Youngsters holding a peaceful march from Rajghat to Parliament were beaten up by police. Women were also beaten up by policemen," it said.

Police, however, said it did not use force against the protesters.

The protesters did not have the permission for the protest and were stopped at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, they said.

Reports claimed that Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa snatched the camera of a photojournalist.

However, the officer refuted the charge.

During the protest, the photojournalist was standing close to the barricades. The policemen requested him not to stand there as the protesters were throwing bangles and pushing the barricades, Randhawa said.

"He started arguing and did not step away from the barricades. Further, after I intervened, he argued with me. Neither was his camera taken nor was he assaulted. Many other journalists were also present there," he said.

Police had earlier said the protesters would be stopped near Jantar Mantar and would not be allowed to march ahead as the Parliament session is underway.