Cinema VinesA Mumbai police officer has been suspended after a viral clip surfaced showing him threatening a group of students who were detained during nationwide protests over the alleged NEET exam leak. The footage, which was posted by lyricist Varun Grover, shows the officer inside a police van addressing the students and saying he would plant 50 grams of powder in their pockets and arrest them on a false drug‑possession charge, warning that any future appearance would ruin their lives.
According to Grover, the officer was unaware that one of the students was recording the conversation on a mobile phone. He commented that the incident highlighted “the cluelessness of the boomer cop about being recorded” and the “chill DGAF attitude” of the boy who was filming. The video spread rapidly across social media, even being shared by the X account of the Cockroach Janta Party.
Following the release of the clip, a senior government official informed HT that the state government had ordered a probe into the conduct of the officer, identified as Pawan Sangle, who was also the driver. Sangle has been suspended pending the investigation.
The students and other citizens gathered in Mumbai on Wednesday to show solidarity with the ongoing CJP‑led protests in Delhi, which have been centered on alleged irregularities in the education sector and the leak of NEET exam papers. Actor Ayesha Khan was detained by the Mumbai police that day, and she documented the incident, describing how she was forced into the police van despite not speaking about the protest. Other public figures, including Imran Khan, Alaya F and Jim Sarbh, also attended the demonstrations in Mumbai.
The protests have continued for over two weeks, with social activist Sonam Wangchuk joining a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar earlier this month. Protestors met with central government representatives on Tuesday, but the demonstrations persisted. That same day, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi sat in protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence with several Congress leaders before being detained by police. While the protest site remained largely peaceful on Wednesday, tensions escalated on the Sansad Marg stretch, where clashes broke out.
