Mystery of stone-laden truck at Jantar Mantar
A report reveals that the stone-laden truck at Jantar Mantar was in Delhi Police custody.
On July 20, during the cockroach Janata Party (CJP) march to Parliament, controversy has arisen over a truck filled with stones at the protest site. According to an independent news website, Newslaundry, this truck with registration number HR63 E 6865 was seized by Delhi Police four days before the protest following a road accident. Newslaundry's investigation found that a truck with the same registration number was seen filled with stones at Jantar Mantar. However, Delhi Police has dismissed this allegation as baseless.
After the report was published, Delhi Police issued a clarification on X. The police stated that the truck was moved to a safe location to maintain law and order during the 'Chalo Parliament' march on July 20. They also mentioned that all claims linking the truck to any alleged conspiracy against the protesters are entirely unfounded.
On the morning of July 20, at around 6:30 AM, Abhijeet Deepke posted on X claiming, "Trucks filled with stones have been stationed at Jantar Mantar. What is the police planning? Is there a conspiracy to incite stone-pelting on peaceful CJP protesters?"
According to Newslaundry's investigation, an FIR was registered related to the truck seized by Delhi Police in the road accident case. As per the FIR, on July 16 at 4:15 AM, this truck, moving negligently, collided with a Maruti Eeco (HR43 D 9778) at the Feroz Shah Road-Kasturba Gandhi Marg intersection. Seven people in the van were injured in the accident. Subsequently, both vehicles were taken to the Parliament Street police station, where they were kept under the supervision of the malkhana (department for seized items).
According to the report,
over the next few days, this truck was moved to at least four different locations. First, it was brought near the protest site, then taken to Bhalswa and emptied. After that, it was parked outside the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) office on Raisina Road and then removed from there as well.
However, officers from the Parliament Street police station made different claims regarding the truck. A police officer, on the condition of anonymity, stated that the truck was initially parked outside the station. But after its video went viral on the morning of July 20, it was taken to Bhalswa, emptied, and then brought back and parked again.
Meanwhile, the investigating officer, Mohit Bhati, said that due to the protest, there was a lack of space at the station, so the truck was shifted elsewhere. However, he could not explain how the truck ended up outside the Youth Congress office.
In contrast, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Parliament Street, Neeraj Kumar, made a different claim. He said that the truck was emptied on July 19, a day before the protest, and the viral videos on social media are old. There is a contradiction in these three statements by the police officers. If the truck was emptied on July 19, how did it appear filled with stones on the morning of July 20? And if it was emptied after the video went viral on July 20, how can the SHO's claim be considered correct?
On July 25, Indian Youth Congress workers released a video showing the same truck parked outside their office on Raisina Road. Later, after complaints and arguments with the police, it was removed from there in the afternoon.
Delhi Youth Congress President Akshay Lakra said,
"This truck was parked outside our office for the past four days. We complained several times, but it was removed only after three days." He questioned how the vehicle managed to enter an area with restrictions on truck entry and why it remained there for several days.
However, employees of the Parliament Street police station claimed that the protesters had damaged several police vehicles, including that van. But the police's own FIR tells a different story. It records that it was the same Maruti Eeco that was damaged in the road accident on July 16.
A relative of the van's owner, Charan Singh, said, "Where I parked my vehicle, there were several other damaged vehicles. We did not park it where it is currently located." Meanwhile, a policeman stationed at the malkhana, on the condition of anonymity, said that the truck is currently at the traffic pit on Kalibari Road. However, when Newslaundry reached there, the truck was not present.