The Kerala students assaulted Delhi incident has raised serious concerns about cultural sensitivity and law enforcement accountability. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha on Friday, demanding a high-level and impartial investigation into the alleged assault near the Red Fort on September 24.
The victims, Aswanth I T and Sudhin K, both studying at Zakir Husain Delhi College and hailing from Birbhum district, were reportedly falsely accused of theft. According to Brittas, the students were attacked by a mob and allegedly faced custodial brutality from police officers. They were dragged, beaten with fibre lathis, stomped on, stripped, and humiliated, with their mobile phones seized and one student’s footwear taken. The assault allegedly continued inside police premises with locals allowed to participate.
Brittas also highlighted that the students were coerced into false confessions and verbally abused for not speaking Hindi, enduring further beatings when they tried to explain themselves in English. He called the incident “a disturbing mix of cultural prejudice and unconstitutional coercion” and stressed it violated India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
The MP urged the Delhi Police to identify and punish the perpetrators, recover the students’ belongings, and issue standing instructions to all units to uphold cultural sensitivity and constitutional rights.
The Delhi Police has not yet responded. The case is expected to receive heightened attention as calls for an independent inquiry continue to grow.
