Officer Attacked by Mob of Lawyers During Tis Hazari Clash as She Pleads With Folded Hands, Video Shows

New Delhi: In a horrific development, a top woman officer of Delhi police was allegedly assaulted by a frenzied mob of nearly 200 during the violent clashes between lawyers and the police at Tis Hazari Courts on November 2. A video footage shows the officer pleading with folded hands before the lawyers but is soon swamped by the mob as vehicles burn inside the court campus.

According to a report by news agency IANS, the unarmed officer was at the risk of being "lynched" if a small contingent of police had not rushed to her rescue.

News agency IANS, quoting a secret report of the Special Branch of the Delhi Police, stated that as the officer and her staff were being beaten up, a message sent to a nearby police outpost was swiftly attended. Around 10-12 policemen led by Station House Officer, Delhi Kotwali, Inspector Rajiv Bhardwaj rushed to the scene of violence and breached into the mob.

The report says that had the police contingent not reached the spot in time, the mob could have "lynched" the police officer and her staff who were outnumbered. During the rescue bid, the officer received a head injury while a few other constables were severely wounded. One of the constables got his ear drum ruptured and was rushed to the hospital in a serious condition.

Beside the video, a five-minute audio tape of a policeman, who was seriously injured in Saturday's violent clashes at Tis Hazari courts, had earlier disclosed that the woman officer, present on the spot was allegedly abused and groped by the lawyers and a desperate attempt was made to snatch away another officer's service revolver.

While the other officer was thrashed with iron chains and lay unconscious on the ground, the woman officer later broke down on Sunday and wept for quite some time during a meeting, the audio clip accessed by IANS revealed.

The news agency quoting its sources in the police said that the audio clip is part of a recorded telephone conversation between the two injured officers and one of the woman officer's staff.

The other officer disclosed over phone to his colleague how during the violent clashes, the lawyers severely assaulted him, resulting in fracture in his shoulder and injuries in ribs and hands.

"I tried to protect madam who was circled by a mob of lawyers. They abused her, roughed her up and tried to pull her collar. When I moved close to shield her, they tried to snatch my pistol," the officer was heard saying while disclosing graphic details of the violence.

"They (the lawyers) were around 300-400 and we were only 4-5 (policemen), including madam, when they started beating us," he added.

On being unconscious, the officer revealed that in a bid to shield his senior, he was first hit on his back by an iron chain. The iron chain, used to close the gates of the lockup, was pulled out by the lawyers.

"I immediately locked the pistol and tried to insert it in my belt when I was hit by an iron rod on head. As I slipped, some of them kicked me on my face," the officer said as he broke down.

On the audio tape as well as the video, relating to the violence of Tis Hazari courts, a DCP-level officer posted at police headquarters said that a high level enquiry is going on, the police would neither deny or confirm about any electronic evidence gathered by the law enforcing agency.