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White sheets, plainclothes cops: How Delhi Police ‘removed’ Sonam Wangchuk amid sea of protesters
The next step was to identify a perfect opportunity, which the sources said came when Sonam Wangchuk's close aide Abhijit Dipke, was away from the protest venue
Sonam Wangchuk was removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site on Saturday despite being surrounded by hundreds of supporters, after Delhi Police executed what news agency ANI sources described as a meticulously planned, multi-layered operation that relied on secrecy, precise timing and plainclothes personnel.
The plan was finalised at a high-level meeting after the newly appointed Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar took charge, the report added. Track Sonam Wangchuk hospitalised live updates.
Operation planned in secrecy
The exercise was conducted on a strict need-to-know basis, with only a handful of senior officers aware of the complete strategy, police sources told ANI, adding that senior officers further decided that the operation would be carried out at daybreak, when the number of protesters at the site was at its lowest.
Inspectors and most police personnel deployed on the ground were reportedly instructed only to reach the protest site and remain in position. They were not informed about the full operational details beforehand.
The next step was to identify a perfect opportunity, which the sources said came when Wangchuk's close aide and Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, was away from the protest venue. The unnamed official added that this left the stage without its principal coordinator.
Plainclothes cops, three-layer security
At around daybreak, 30-35 personnel from the New Delhi district's Special Staff and local police units, dressed in plain clothes, quietly entered the barricaded protest area, the ANI report said.
The officers first surrounded Wangchuk's bed before covering it from all four sides with large white sheets. This was reportedly done to shield the operation from public view, prevent crowd mobilisation and minimise any commotion while he was being escorted away from the stage.
The removal was carried out through a three-tier security arrangement, sources said.
In the first layer, plainclothes officers secured the stage and moved Wangchuk out of the protest area. The second layer consisted of personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Rapid Action Force (RAF), who held back protesters outside the barricaded zone to prevent confrontations.
The third layer involved senior Delhi Police officers monitoring the operation from a control point near the ambulance and police vehicles.
Once Wangchuk was placed inside an ambulance, traffic police personnel ensured a clear passage, allowing the vehicle to travel uninterrupted to Safdarjung Hospital, the ANI sources added.
Dipke alleges removal in his absence
Soon after the operation ended, Abhijit Dipke returned to the protest site and alleged that Wangchuk had been removed while he was away. He also announced that he would continue the agitation by going on a hunger strike.
Delhi Police, however, maintained that the exercise was carried out peacefully and with restraint.
Explaining the action, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) said Wangchuk was shifted to hospital following medical advice and in compliance with directions issued by the Delhi high court.
"As per orders of Hon'ble High Court and on expert medical advise due to the deteriorating health condition of Sh. Sonam Wangchuk, he has been shifted to the hospital for essential medical care. While complying with the orders of Hon'ble High Court the protestors tried to create obstruction, in which slight commotion ensued, however police took maximum restrain and undertook the exercise safely. We request the protestors at Jantar Mantar to peacefully vacate the place at the earliest," the DCP, New Delhi, said.
