Junaid claims he was detained by men in plainclothes, identifying themselves as Delhi Police personnel, on Friday night while returning from a hospital after treatment for a dog bite
NEW DELHI — Mohammad Junaid, the Muslim volunteer who won wide appreciation for distributing food and drinking water to protesters during the protest organised by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, was released on Sunday, his lawyer confirmed. Along with Junaid, his other family members were also released.
Junaid, a resident of Masuri in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, had been volunteering at Jantar Mantar since early June, when the CJP began its indefinite protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
He initially distributed water and later, with public donations, juice, tea and food packets to students sleeping overnight at the protest site. On Day 3 of the protest, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke publicly thanked him for his service, after which he came into the limelight.
Allegations of Detention and Harassment
According to Junaid, he was detained by men in plainclothes identifying themselves as Delhi Police personnel on Friday night while returning from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital after treatment for a dog bite. He alleged he was blindfolded, his phone was taken away, he was kept overnight at an unknown location, and questioned about the source of funds for the food distribution. He said he told officers that the supplies were arranged through public donations and support from well-wishers.
He claimed that he was later taken to Mussoorie in Uttar Pradesh and abandoned there, from where he hired a cab back to Delhi.
Junaid further alleged that Uttar Pradesh Police raided his home in Masuri, detained his father, Mustafa, and later his minor brother, and seized family documents including Aadhaar cards, PAN cards and bank passbooks. He also alleged that his sister’s father-in-law and brother-in-law were picked up in Meerut and taken to Masuri police station in Ghaziabad.
In a video posted on social media on Saturday, Junaid said he and his family members were “completely safe”. His lawyer wrote on Instagram: “Mohammad Junaid and his whole family have been released and set free, as confirmed by one of the family members.”
Police Response
Delhi Police said they were looking into his allegations. Meerut Police denied detaining any member of his family. Senior Superintendent of Police Avinash Pandey was quoted as saying that “no such matter has come to my notice,” while SP Vinayak Gopal Bhonsle said verification with all Station House Officers showed no detention in the district. Senior Ghaziabad Police officers were not reachable for comment despite repeated attempts, according to reports.
Civil Rights Intervention
The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) said its Ghaziabad and Meerut units met Junaid’s family and assured legal assistance. According to the group, Masuri Station House Officer Harendra Malik held discussions with Junaid’s father. The APCR said it had warned that any unlawful action would be challenged in court.
The Jantar Mantar protest had intensified last week after police action against demonstrators. The CJP has also alleged that Delhi Police were blocking access to food, water and volunteers at the protest site, calling it a “siege.”
On Saturday afternoon, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, saying he was doing so to prevent “anti-national forces” from taking advantage of the protests. Hours later, the CJP announced it was calling off its agitation, stating that all its demands had been accepted after talks with the Union government.
Similar allegations of targeting Muslim supporters of the protest have surfaced earlier. In one instance, five Muslim students returning to Jamia Millia Islamia from Jantar Mantar alleged they were taken to a police station late at night and released only after intervention by others.
