Who is Rhiya Ahir? Woman who broke internet by blocking police van at Mumbai CJP protest

A young woman in a grey hoodie, standing firmly with her arms spread out to block a police van, has emerged as one of the most striking images from Mumbai's protests supporting the Cockroach Janta Party's agitation over the NEET paper leak.

As the CJP-led protest against examination irregularities continued in Delhi, young demonstrators in Mumbai took to the streets yesterday (23 July) to express solidarity and protest against what they described as alleged police action during the 'Sansad Chalo' march.

Who is Rhiya Ahir?

Rhiya Ahir is a 27-year-old model who found herself at the centre of the protest after intervening when she saw protesters being taken away by the police. She said she believed the detainees were being removed unnecessarily and immediately rushed towards the vehicle.

Ahir has a strong presence on Instagram, with nearly one lakh followers, and has also appeared in music videos. Her most recent appearance was in the video song 'Dilbara'.

She was walking from Kohinoor Square in Dadar towards Shivaji Park when she noticed the police van filled with detainees, as per an earlier HT report.

"I couldn't help myself," she said. "Their chants - they pulled me towards them. I was like, if I'm going for the protest, it starts from here. They're taking them away, and I cannot let that happen."

Ahir said the police told her the detainees would be released after the vehicle had travelled some distance, but she refused to accept that explanation.

"They didn't say anything. They knew that they were wrong," Ahir said.

'I was shaking on the inside'

Although videos from the scene showed her standing firmly in front of the van, Ahir said she was nervous throughout the confrontation. "When I confronted them, I was shaking on the inside," she said.

Despite that fear, she chose not to move. "I knew that what I was doing was right."