CJP protest: Why do police deploy plainclothes officers at protests, mass gatherings?

An official source said such practice is a “deliberate strategy” to blend into crowds where there is a possibility of anti-social elements exploiting large gatherings. He said the visible presence of uniformed personnel can alert potential troublemakers, making it more difficult to identify and monitor them.

A retired Delhi Police officer said that the officers who work on gathering intelligence may not be in uniform. He, however, opined that even as there is no rule that require officers to wear uniform while on law and order duty, “they should”.

Another senior police officer said, “There is no blanket rule that every deployed officer must wear a uniform. Operational judgment is exercised based on the situation.” He said the plainclothes deployment at protests are not new and have been used during earlier demonstrations, including the farmers’ protests and other large public gatherings.

Sources said the plainclothes officers had been deployed at Janatar Mantar since the beginning of the protest who continued to monitor the movements throughout, but when the clashes broke out during Monday’s march, they took part in the crackdown.

Several users on X and other social media platforms posted videos and raised questions. Many said officers who are said to be in plain clothes could be outsiders or private persons. The officers, however, refuted such claims.

Another officer, stating that there is no specific standing order or rule requiring all deployed personnel to wear uniforms, mentioned that decisions on deployment are taken on a case-by-case basis, depending on operational needs.

The officer also said that this was not the first time images from a protest have emerged showing plainclothes personnel operating alongside uniformed police. Similar deployments, he said, have been made during such massive demonstrations earlier to help prevent escalation.