MUMBAI— Mumbai Police detained scores of protesters after a group of demonstrators escaped from a police van during a student protest in the city's Chembur area, an incident captured in a viral video that has intensified scrutiny of police handling of ongoing demonstrations.
The incident occurred on Wednesday during a protest at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Udyan Chowk, where police said between 700 and 800 people had gathered despite prohibitory orders being in force. Officers said they had attempted to persuade the crowd to disperse before detaining around 200 people for alleged violations of the restrictions.
Video circulating on social media showed a man approaching a police vehicle transporting detained protesters, opening its rear latch and allowing several detainees to jump out before fleeing. Police have not publicly identified the individual seen in the footage or announced any arrests directly linked to the escape.
The demonstrations form part of a broader wave of student-led protests in Mumbai held in solidarity with nationwide agitation over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Authorities have maintained that the gatherings violated prohibitory orders imposed in parts of the city.
Another widely shared video from the protest showed a woman standing in front of a police vehicle while criticizing the authorities' handling of demonstrators and calling for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to engage directly with protesting students. Her remarks could not be independently verified, but the footage has circulated widely online.
Mumbai Police said they had registered 13 criminal cases and booked about 400 people between July 18 and July 22 in connection with the ongoing protests. The cases relate to allegations including unlawful assembly and violation of prohibitory orders, according to police.
Protests have taken place at several locations across Mumbai in recent days, drawing students, activists and opposition politicians. Police have carried out preventive detentions at multiple sites while maintaining that their actions were intended to enforce public-order restrictions. Protest organizers and some participants have alleged that peaceful demonstrators were detained without adequate justification, allegations that authorities have not accepted.
As of Thursday, Mumbai Police had not announced further details on any investigation into the van escape, while security remained heightened amid continuing demonstrations across the city.
