Delhi Police has asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to consider closing the entry and exit gates of 57 metro stations from 9 pm on October 9, ahead of proposed protests at Jantar Mantar and other locations in the New Delhi district on October 10. The police have also proposed reducing the frequency of trains passing through the identified stations.
The request was made in a letter dated October 8. According to the communication, the proposed measures are intended to manage possible unruly crowd movement towards sensitive locations. The restrictions, if implemented, would remain in force on October 10 until the situation returns to normal.
The police have asked the DMRC to issue necessary directions to its officers and staff so that the proposed measures can be put in place. The request does not itself confirm that all 57 stations will be closed; implementation depends on the metro corporation’s directions and operational response.
The stations named in the police communication are spread across several Delhi Metro corridors. They include high-use interchange and central Delhi stations such as Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Janpath, Mandi House, Supreme Court and New Delhi. The list also includes Kashmere Gate, Jama Masjid, Chawri Bazar, Karol Bagh, Vishwavidyalaya, Hauz Khas, INA, Lajpat Nagar and Sarai Kale Khan-Nizamuddin.
Stations in other parts of the network named in the communication include Jamia Millia Islamia, Okhla Vihar, Rithala, Rohini East, Rohini West, Shahdara, Welcome and Maujpur. Inderlok, Seelampur, Jafrabad, Yamuna Vihar, Azadpur, Majlis Park and Haiderpur Badli Mor are also among those listed.
If the request is implemented, commuters using the affected stations could face closed gates, altered access arrangements and longer waiting times because of reduced train frequency. The breadth of the list means the impact could extend beyond the protest locations to passengers changing trains or travelling through central, north, northeast, south and northwest Delhi.
Delhi Police cited the possibility of crowd movement towards sensitive locations as the reason for seeking the restrictions. The next operational step is for the DMRC to issue directions to its concerned officers and staff. The measures are proposed to begin at 9 pm on October 9 and continue on October 10 until authorities determine that the situation has returned to normal.
