21 July,2026 07:31 PM IST | Mumbai | Shruti Sampat
Sehban Azim (Pictures via Instagram)
Tujhse Hai Raabta actor Sehban Azim has spoken out after sustaining injuries during the CJP protest, where police allegedly resorted to a lathi-charge on demonstrators. Speaking exclusively to mid-day, the actor recounted the disturbing scenes he witnessed and claimed that peaceful protesters, including students and women, were beaten without discrimination.
Sharing his experience, Sehban revealed that he had joined the protest to stand in solidarity with students. Accompanied by two female friends from Mumbai, the actor said he was injured while trying to shield them from the police action. "It was an extremely heartbreaking sight to witness. I went for the protest to support the students, and my two female friends from Mumbai had also come. I got hit while I was saving them from the lathi there. My hand has been swollen. They hit me a few times on my arm, legs and all," he said.
According to Sehban, the protesters were stopped before they could even reach the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar. He alleged that police had barricaded the area from all sides before launching the lathi-charge. "We didn't even get to reach inside Jantar Mantar where the protest was actually happening. The police had put barricades all around and trapped us in the middle and started hitting us. They weren't even bothered who they were hitting, be it young kids, women, nobody," he claimed.
The actor further alleged that the police action appeared intentional and was aimed at dispersing the crowd by force. "It felt like the whole lathi-charge was deliberate. They just wanted all of us to go from there," he said.
Sehban also expressed concern for the students who had travelled long distances to participate in the demonstration. He recalled interacting with several of them and learning about the hardships they had endured just to make their voices heard. "My heart goes out to the kids who had come for the protest. Some had travelled for days through trains and buses. They didn't even have proper shoes to wear. Some were quite poor and couldn't afford anything beyond chappals. A few of them even fought with their parents to come for the protest and voice their opinions," he said.
Claiming that several protesters suffered injuries, Sehban added, "They have been brutally beaten by these policemen. A lot of them were bleeding. These young kids stood there and took all these brutal beatings."
Highlighting the financial struggles faced by many students, the actor said access to education remains a challenge for those from economically weaker backgrounds. "A lot of these kids come from homes that aren't financially stable. For them, education is already a privilege. Many take loans just to complete their education. In such a case, these scams have only made it more difficult for them. Education should be a right, not something that feels like a far-fetched dream," Sehban concluded.
