Mumbai Police reject manhandling allegations as Opposition demands action over viral protest video

Mumbai Police on Friday rejected allegations that a plainclothes police officer manhandled a woman protester during a demonstration over the alleged NEET paper leak saying a viral video of the incident was being misinterpretedThe clarification came after the video triggered a political controversy with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar leaders demanding action against the officer seen in the footagePolice deny allegations over viral videoIn a post on X Mumbai Police said an extremely irresponsible and incorrect interpretation of the incident was being circulated on social mediaAccording to the police the officer was attempting to restrain a male protester and was looking in another direction when a woman protester inadvertently came between themThe said officer was holding a male protester and looking in another direction when a female protester inadvertently came in between the police saidMarsquoam please note this is being irresponsibly misinterpreted the official while managing law amp order there was trying to hold on to a male protestor when a lady unknowingly stepped in between while he was looking away Being a public figure you are expected to verifyhellip httpstcoxwVqirsYf1mdash Mumbai Police MumbaiPolice July 24 2026The police also urged public figures to verify facts before commenting on the incidentAs a renowned individual it is expected of you to verify the facts before drawing any conclusions based on a video The senior officers have confirmed all the facts the post addedDeputy Commissioner of Police Operations Akbar Pathan said senior officers had examined the video before reaching their conclusionThe official was trying to hold on to a male protester and a lady stepped in while he was looking away Senior officers have verified all the facts and minutely assessed the video to ascertain the facts Pathan saidPolice said that no case has been registered in connection with the allegations so farOpposition questions police conductThe Opposition however continued to criticise the police over the incidentMumbai Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad shared the video on X and alleged that the treatment of the woman protester was unacceptableThe agitation over the paper leak case is underway What happened to a young woman during the protest in Mumbai is deeply painful It is not right to speak of Ladki Bahin and then treat young women in this manner It is shameful that women are allegedly being mistreated in the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj False cases are being filed against students and they are being threatened Gaikwad wrote hellip pictwittercomnK5bCxWoZkmdash Prof Varsha Eknath Gaikwad VarshaEGaikwad July 24 2026In another post she questioned why a male police officer was physically handling a woman protesterWhat is this behaviour Mumbai Police Why is a male cop manhandling a young female protester like this Why isnt he letting his female colleagues handle this What action will be taken against him This is unacceptable she saidWhat is this behaviour Mumbai Police Why is a male cop mandhandling a young female protestor like this Why isnt he letting his female colleagues handle this What action will be taken against him This is unacceptable Dev_Fadnavis pictwittercomH48j8l4JhImdash Prof Varsha Eknath Gaikwad VarshaEGaikwad July 23 2026Gaikwad also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that while he had addressed the paper leak issue through a latenight video message he had remained silent on the police action against protesting studentsRohit Pawar seeks action against officerNCP SP MLA Rohit Pawar also shared the video on social media and demanded strict action against the police official seen in the footageThis video is infuriating Who is this person If he is a policeman suspend him immediately or dismiss him from the police force Register a case of outraging the modesty of a woman against him and put him behind bars He is a blot on the Maharashtra Police a force with a distinguished reputation Pawar said hellip pictwittercomLsvEhwALzTmdash Rohit Pawar RRPSpeaks July 23 2026Protest over NEET paper leakThe controversy stems from a protest held at Shivaji Park in Mumbais Dadar area on Thursday where students and activists demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leakThe incident has since sparked a political confrontation with the Opposition alleging excessive use of force by police while Mumbai Police maintains that the viral video has been taken out of context and does not show any deliberate misconduct by the officer