The events of 20 July demand an immediate and independent investigation.
This is an appeal to every democratic rights organisation, every human rights group, every civil liberties forum, every lawyers’ collective, every citizens’ initiative, and every individual who believes that constitutional freedoms are worth defending.
Please do not let this moment pass.
What unfolded on 20 July was not merely a case of police excess. It was an assault on the fundamental democratic rights of citizens. A peaceful protest was met with shocking and disproportionate violence. Such an attack cannot become another forgotten incident in our public life.
The evidence is already before us.
There are hundreds of photographs. There are countless videos from different angles. They capture events with painful clarity. They cannot be wished away. They cannot be erased. They cannot be dismissed as rumours.
But visual evidence alone is not enough.
This is the moment to preserve every piece of evidence before it disappears. Medical records of the injured must be collected without delay. Doctors who treated the victims should document every injury carefully. Every fracture, every wound, every bruise, and every scar must become part of the public record.
The testimonies of the protesters must also be recorded immediately. Every eyewitness account matters. Every victim deserves to be heard. Memory fades. Evidence vanishes. Delay only helps those who wish to escape accountability.
There are deeply disturbing allegations that demand thorough investigation.
Many police personnel wore visible name plates. Their identities can be established.
But those who wielded the lathis with extraordinary brutality reportedly wore no identifying uniforms. Who were they? Under whose authority were they deployed? Why were they allowed to operate without identification?
There are allegations that some batons carried metal nails or sharp objects capable of causing grievous injuries. There is reasonable evidence to show that police used shock batons. Some protestors said that barricades had electric connections in some places. Today’s The Hindu reported that the police used pellet guns on the protesters. Some pellets lodged just below the eyes; some deep inside the neck. Remember the notorious widespread pellet guns that were used in Kashmir in the wake of demonstrations after the death of Burhan Wani in Kashmir in 2016? If all is true, it is a horrifying departure from lawful policing. Every such allegation must be examined scientifically and independently.
There are also numerous accounts that protesters were attacked without provocation. Videos appear to show peaceful demonstrators being chased and beaten mercilessly. These claims deserve careful investigation based on evidence, not official denials.
Equally disturbing are allegations that police personnel themselves pelted stones. Reports and photographs of a truck carrying stones have already entered the public domain. If these reports are accurate, they raise grave questions. Who arranged the stones? Why were they there? Who authorised their use? These questions cannot remain unanswered.
Justice does not emerge on its own.
It has to be pursued with determination.
Every official responsible for unlawful violence must be identified. Every order given that day must be examined. Every officer who exceeded the law must be held accountable. The rule of law means nothing if those entrusted to enforce it are themselves placed above it.
This is not merely about the victims of one protest.
It concerns every citizen of this country.
If an entirely peaceful assembly can be crushed with such force today, what protection remains for the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution tomorrow? The freedom to assemble peacefully, to speak freely, and to dissent peacefully loses all meaning if it exists only on paper.
History teaches us a painful lesson.
Democracies are rarely destroyed in a single day. They are weakened step by step. Every unanswered act of brutality encourages another. Every unpunished abuse of power becomes a precedent. Every silence strengthens authoritarianism.
If we fail to act today, tomorrow may be too late.
This is not the time for hesitation.
This is not the time for cautious statements.
This is not the time to wait for someone else to take the first step.
Every democratic rights organisation must constitute independent fact-finding teams immediately. Lawyers must extend legal assistance to the victims of the false cases. Doctors must document injuries. Journalists must preserve evidence. Citizens must safeguard photographs and videos. Witnesses must be encouraged to come forward without fear. A comprehensive public report should be prepared and placed before the nation and the courts.
The truth must not become another casualty.
Silence now will not bring peace. It will only embolden those who believe violence can replace law and fear can replace democracy.
The future of our Republic depends not only on elections. It depends on our willingness to defend constitutional freedoms whenever they are threatened.
The hour demands courage.
The victims deserve justice.
The country deserves the truth.
Please rise to the occasion.
Begin the investigation now.
Do not wait another day.
Do not wait another hour.
We cannot afford to lose a nanosecond.
Vimal
21 July 2026
