New Delhi, Aug. 18 -- The Delhi Police denied using excessive force on student protestors during the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest on July 20, adding that the cops in plain clothes were part of a "crowd control measure".

Delhi Deputy Police Commissioner Sachin Sharma filed a counter-affidavit late Monday night, August 17, before the Supreme Court defending the use of force, after multiple petitions sought a Court-monitored investigation into the alleged police brutality. He asserted that force was used only after protestors resorted to violence.

The police said that they used graded force with nearly 5,000 police officers stationed at the site to manage the crowd of over 30,000 people, spread across three kilometres.

Delhi Police p...