More than 5,000 protesters were detained across Delhi on October 10 as police prevented demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, imposing restrictions across the New Delhi district and deploying around 14,000 personnel.
A senior Delhi Police officer said around 1,500 of those detained were taken into custody in the New Delhi area. The protesters were moved to temporary detention facilities at several locations and released before sunset, the officer said. Women protesters and senior citizens were also released from the detention centres.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had been denied permission to hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, restricting unauthorised public assemblies, demonstrations and protests across the New Delhi district.
The police deployment included around 4,000 women personnel. The senior officer said the deployment would continue amid expectations of further protest calls by the CJP, the All India Youth Federation, the All India Students’ Federation and the Students’ Federation of India. The officer said due legal process would be followed in the case of CJP leaders.
Several prominent activists and organisers were detained during the day. CJP founder members Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were taken into custody at Delhi airport after arriving from Mumbai on Air India flight AI 2428. The flight departed Mumbai at 8 a.m. and arrived in Delhi at 10.20 a.m. Police personnel, accompanied by Central Industrial Security Force officials, boarded the aircraft and escorted the activists away in a bus on the airport tarmac.
The CJP members recorded a live video from inside the aircraft and criticised the action, describing it as “dictatorship”. The Hindu reported that the aircraft’s parking bay was changed on instructions from the CISF before landing.
Air India has written to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security seeking clarity on the procedures that allowed police personnel to board the aircraft and on the apparent lack of prior coordination with the airline. Under the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023, airlines control access to aircraft. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air India had not responded to queries at the time of publication.
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was also detained at his residence in Gurugram by a team of Delhi Police personnel accompanied by Gurugram Police, according to police sources cited by The Hindu. He had reportedly travelled to the national capital to participate in the planned Jantar Mantar demonstration.
On Friday evening, Mr. Rathee posted a video from Kartavya Path questioning the security arrangements and transport restrictions introduced ahead of the protest. Police also detained All India Students’ Association national president Neha Bora after she was denied permission to march towards Jantar Mantar.
Ms. Bora later appealed on social media for people to assemble at Dilli Haat near INA. Protesters surrounded a police bus carrying her and attempted to block it, raising slogans and demanding her release. She and other protesters were taken to a temporary detention facility in south Delhi. Ms. Bora later said that her phone had been taken away and subsequently returned, and that women detained at Maidan Garhi police station had been released.
The Delhi Police said restrictions and deployment would continue in view of possible further demonstrations. The aviation security authorities and the Ministry of Civil Aviation had not issued a response to Air India’s request for clarification at the time of publication.
