Mumbai Police sealed off August Kranti Maidan on Saturday and detained hundreds of people who had planned to gather in support of the Cockroach Janata Party’s protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, according to a report by The Indian Express. More than 500 police personnel and three layers of barricades were deployed around the historic ground, while traffic near Nana Chowk was diverted and slowed.
The gathering had been called by Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and president of Hum Bharat Ke Log. Gandhi had posted an appeal on X on Friday asking Mumbaikars to join the demonstration. However, he and his associates were detained in Bandra while travelling towards the venue and taken to DN Nagar police station, the report said.
Other detainees included Gandhi’s granddaughter Kasturi Gandhi, Bollywood actor Imran Khan and Shiv Sena UBT MLA Varun Sardesai. Protesters began arriving in the Grant Road area from around 3 pm, carrying posters, flags and copies of the Constitution, but were stopped before reaching August Kranti Maidan.
Police erected three barricade lines approximately 100 metres apart on roads leading to the maidan. Each line was manned by nearly 50 personnel, who questioned pedestrians, diverted traffic and prevented access to the venue. The final barricade was placed at Nana Chowk, where protesters calling for Kumar’s resignation were detained and taken to nearby police stations in about six police vans.
The Indian Express reported accounts from people who said they were questioned or physically handled during the detentions. Falak Shaikh, 17, a student from Malad, said she and a friend came to the protest after completing a college examination and encountered police deployment at frequent intervals. Lata Tendulkar, who travelled from Thane, said she suffered scratches on her arm while police attempted to detain her. The report did not include a police response to these specific allegations.
Additional and Deputy Commissioners of Police were present at the site overseeing the arrangements. The barricades caused traffic to slow near Nana Chowk as motorists were diverted, while the maidan remained empty despite protesters continuing to arrive in the area.
The Mumbai action followed restrictions surrounding a separate CJP demonstration planned at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The Delhi Police denied permission for that gathering, citing security concerns and an application linked to a 10-day notice requirement. By 3 pm, more than 2,000 people had reportedly been detained in Delhi, including CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were taken from an aircraft. Restrictions also affected more than 40 metro stations, and over 250 trains had reportedly been cancelled by that point.
Dipke’s detention came as he was travelling after the death of his grandmother in Hingoli, Maharashtra. The report said he was given the option of remaining in detention or travelling to Maharashtra. No further official details on the duration of the detentions or the next steps for the Mumbai protesters were provided in the report.
