MUMBAI — A bystander opened the rear latch of a Mumbai police van carrying detained protesters, allowing several people to flee, during demonstrations over alleged irregularities in India's NEET medical entrance examination, according to police and widely circulated video footage on Thursday.
The incident occurred on Wednesday in Chembur, where police said between 700 and 800 protesters had gathered despite prohibitory orders in force. Officers said they attempted to persuade the crowd to disperse before detaining around 200 people for transport from the protest site.
Video shared widely on social media shows a man approaching the police vehicle and opening its rear latch while it was moving slowly, enabling several detained protesters to jump out and run away. A woman walking alongside the vehicle is seen applauding as the detainees leave the van. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of all videos circulating online, but the footage is consistent with accounts provided by police and multiple Indian media outlets.
The demonstration formed part of broader protests in Mumbai held in solidarity with student-led agitation over alleged examination irregularities that began in New Delhi. Protesters have demanded accountability over the handling of the NEET examination and criticised police action against demonstrators.
Separate footage from the protest showed a young woman standing in front of a police vehicle carrying detained demonstrators. In a video recorded at the scene, she said police were "not doing it responsibly" and called on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to engage directly with protesting students.
Mumbai Police said the Chembur protest violated prohibitory orders and confirmed that cases had been registered in connection with recent demonstrations. Police said that between July 18 and July 22 they registered 13 cases and booked about 400 people on allegations including unlawful assembly and violating prohibitory orders.
Authorities had not publicly identified the man seen opening the van's latch or announced any arrests related to the escape as of Thursday. Police have also not disclosed how many detainees ultimately left the vehicle or whether they were subsequently located.
