Woman protester runs away with keys of police bus in Delhi's Jantar Mantar

A woman protester at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar took matters into her own hands when she snatched the keys of a police bus carrying detained protesters, stopping the vehicle from moving.

The moment, captured on video, has now gone viral, with some social media users praising her move while others have questioned its legal implications.

The incident took place amid protests in New Delhi over electoral-roll revisions and demands concerning the Election Commission. The demonstrations saw a heavy police deployment, with several protesters detained during the agitation.

The chaos unfolded when a woman protester managed to snatch the keys from the bus that was preparing to leave with detained people. As the woman ran away with the keys, the bus was then left unable to move.

Another clip circulating online showed the police pushing the vehicle away from the protest site after it was left without its keys.

The videos quickly spread across social media, where users focused on the unusual way the woman protester had stopped the vehicle. Some praised her for taking a stand and preventing the bus carrying the detained protesters from leaving.

Others, however, raised questions about whether taking the keys of a vehicle and preventing it from moving could attract legal action. The viral discussion has also prompted users to debate where the line lies between protest and obstructing the movement of a police vehicle.

While the clips show the confrontation and the woman taking the keys, they do not by themselves establish whether she was charged with an offence or what legal action, if any, followed.

Around 15 Delhi Police personnel were injured and about 110 people were detained as Sunday’s protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation turned tense, police said.

Demonstrators broke barricades and blocked buses carrying detainees as security personnel tried to clear the area.- Ends