At least 1,000 people were detained overnight across Delhi ahead of a protest scheduled for Saturday by the Cockroach Janta Party-All India Students’ Association, which is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, The Indian Express reported. The preventive detentions were accompanied by heavy police deployment, border checks and restrictions around central Delhi.
As of 12.30 am on Saturday, around 250 detainees were from Delhi’s South East district, particularly areas around Shaheen Bagh, according to a police source cited by The Indian Express. More than 100 others were detained from Shahdara and East Delhi, districts that border Uttar Pradesh, another Delhi Police official told the newspaper.
Police officials said the detentions were preventive and followed the identification of people with a history of mobilising protesters and creating what authorities described as an “unlawful” situation. The detainees were to be moved to 13 major detention centres earmarked across Delhi’s districts ahead of the protest.
The arrangements have created a citywide security operation rather than a deployment limited to the anticipated protest site. More than 30,000 personnel are expected to be on the ground, while Delhi’s border areas are being heavily guarded. CJP leaders were scheduled to arrive in the capital at about 10.15 am on Saturday.
According to the deployment plan reported by The Indian Express, the first shift at designated locations includes police inspectors, platoons and sections of male and female personnel. Additional forces and reserves have been kept available for reinforcement, with the deployment structured across shifts to maintain a presence through the day and night.
Inter-district border pickets have also been established between Central Delhi and New Delhi, as well as at connecting points involving South, South East and South West Delhi. These arrangements could affect movement between districts as police regulate access near areas expected to see protest-related activity.
Access restrictions were reported even on roads close to the New Delhi area. Ashoka Road and Tolstoy Road, which are within walking distance of the central zone, were described as difficult to enter. The stretch had 10 barricades and more than 30 paramilitary personnel guarding it, according to the report.
The scale of the operation places preventive policing, detention facilities and movement control at the centre of the city’s response to a planned political protest. The immediate impact is likely to be felt through additional checks, barricading and changes in access around central Delhi and inter-district connecting points.
The police operation was scheduled to continue through Saturday, with forces and reserves positioned to respond to developments during the day and night. The reported next steps are the arrival of CJP leaders, continued border checks and the movement of detainees to the designated district detention centres.
