A statement signed by 100 alumni, students, faculty members and staff of Harvard University has called on the authorities to stop violations of constitutional rights and to respect the right to peaceful protest and access to legal assistance.
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New Delhi: A group of 100 alumni, students, faculty members and staff of Harvard University has issued a statement of solidarity with Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat, condemning what it describes as police action against peaceful protesters in Delhi on 10 October during the demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The statement is dated 12 October 2026. Its signatories are affiliated with Harvard Law School, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, among others.
Allegations In The Statement
The statement says Shadan Farasat, a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court and a 2009 alumnus of Harvard Law School, was detained and manhandled by the police while rushing to prevent the illegal detention of a peaceful protester.
It also refers to Mehr Pasricha, a 2025 graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School. According to the statement, she was not at any protest site and was having breakfast at the Laxmi Nagar Market when she was held for 13 hours without being given paperwork or told the grounds of her detention.
The Concerns And The Demands
The signatories express concern over what they call an unprecedented siege of Delhi by police and paramilitary forces. They describe the police action against peaceful protesters on 10 October as arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional, and condemn alleged police brutality and unlawful detentions. They state that if lawyers are prevented from providing legal aid, the wider system of law and order breaks down.
The statement supports all peaceful protesters exercising their constitutional rights and commends those who helped people affected by the alleged detentions and violence. It calls on the government and all law enforcement authorities to cease all violations of constitutional rights, respect the right to peaceful protest and access to legal assistance, and ensure that those responsible for abuses are held accountable under the rule of law.
These are the signatories’ allegations and have not been tested before any court. No response from the Delhi Police or the government to the statement was available at the time of writing.
Statement Details: Statement of condemnation by Harvard University alumni, students, faculty and staff, dated 12 October 2026, on police action against protesters in Delhi on 10 October 2026.