'I Won't Stop Fighting': Student Volunteer Mohammad Junaid Alleges Unlawful Detention After Delhi Protest

Mohammad Junaid, a 24-year-old law student from Ghaziabad, says he was detained, blindfolded and questioned overnight because of his role organising one of India’s largest recent student protests. He has filed a petition in India’s Supreme Court alleging unlawful detention and other intimidatory actions against him and his family.

Background

Junaid grew up with parents who never attended school but treated ilm, the Urdu word for knowledge, with deep reverence. That family belief in education helped drive him to join the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in June, initially expecting to stay only a day. The demonstration, sparked by alleged irregularities in a major medical entrance exam, became a six-week encampment pushing for accountability.

Volunteer Role

Although not a formal leader, Junaid became a visible organiser and one of the volunteers who kept the camp running. He coordinated donations, distributed food and water, arranged blankets and sleeping spaces, and tended to injured and frightened students after clashes. He drew on experience from the 2020 farmers’ protests to help manage logistics and aid a steady flow of support from gurdwaras, farmers and well-wishers.

Junaid (third from left) stayed at the protest site for weeks, working with other volunteers and protesters [Mohammad Junaid]

Alleged Detention And Legal Action

Junaid alleges police detained him hours before the protest ended, after he left a hospital where he had been treated for a dog bite. He says officers questioned him in detail about his role, blindfolded him while transporting him, and released him the next day. He has petitioned the Supreme Court, which has directed authorities not to take coercive action against protesters with no criminal record while the matter is heard.

Alleged Targeting Of Family

In his petition Junaid also claims that police targeted his family: that his father was taken from their Ghaziabad home for questioning on 23 July and that officers searched the house the following day, damaging furniture and seeking identity documents and bank details. Ghaziabad Police told the BBC they had questioned his father but denied other claims or gave no further details.

Wider Context

The detention comes amid broader accusations of police crackdowns on protesters across Delhi and other states. On 20 July thousands of demonstrators who tried to march to parliament were met with tear gas, baton charges and mass detentions. The CJP said it would resume its strike unless cases against volunteers and protesters were dropped, while opposition politicians and civil liberties groups criticised the alleged actions.

Police cracked down heavily on protesters on 20 July as thousands tried to march to parliament [Getty Images]

Personal Impact And Resolve

"Now I want to spend my life fighting for that. I will not stop," Junaid told the BBC, reflecting on how the protest reshaped his priorities.

Junaid says the experience also made him reflect on identity: during the protests religion rarely featured, but after his detention he wondered whether having a Muslim name affected how he was treated. He stresses he has no proof of this, and police have been approached for comment.

Despite his parents’ pleas not to return to the streets, Junaid regards his detention as a small personal sacrifice in a larger struggle for accountability and says he will go back if students strike again.

Note: This account is based on Junaid’s petition and interviews reported by the BBC. Allegations in the petition remain to be determined by the courts and official investigations.