NEET protest: Mumbai cop gropes woman on camera, police say 'she came in between' when he was 'trying to restrain a male protester'

PTI, July 25, 2026, Mumbai : The Mumbai police on Friday said that a viral video purportedly showing a plainclothes policeman manhandling a woman during a protest was being misinterpreted, stressing that he was attempting to restrain a male protester when she inadvertently came in between.

The video sparked a political row after Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad shared it on X, while NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar demanded action against the police official seen in the clip.

In a post on X, the Mumbai police rejected the allegations, saying an "extremely irresponsible and incorrect" interpretation was being made of their employee's behaviour.

The said officer was holding a male protester and looking in another direction when a "female protester inadvertently came in between", said the city police.

"As a renowned individual, it is expected of you to verify the facts before drawing any conclusions based on a video. The senior officers have confirmed all the facts," the police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Akbar Pathan said the video was being "irresponsibly misinterpreted".

"The official was trying to hold on to a male protester and a lady stepped in while he was looking away. Senior officers have verified all the facts and minutely assessed the video to ascertain the facts," he said.

No case has been registered in connection with the allegations so far.

Students and activists staged a protest and demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation at the Shivaji Park ground in Dadar on Thursday before being chased away by police, with some youths falling.