Over 5,000 detained in Delhi amid anti-CEC protest

The Delhi Police detained more than 5,000 protesters across the national capital on Saturday as they attempted to stage a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

The police also detained Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder members Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka at the Delhi airport, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee at his residence in Gurugram, and All India Students’ Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora.

A senior police officer said the Delhi Police had denied permission for the CJP to hold its planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were imposed across the New Delhi district, prohibiting unauthorised public assemblies, demonstrations and protests.

“Around 5,000 protesters were detained across Delhi, including around 1,500 in the New Delhi area. They were shifted to temporary detention facilities set up at various locations in the city and released before sunset,” the officer said. The officer added that around 14,000 police personnel including 4,000 women police personnel were deployed in the city.

The officer further stated that Delhi Police deployment will continue amid expectations of another Jantar Mantar protest call by CJP, AIYF, AISF and SFI. Women protesters and senior citizens were released from the detention centres. Due legal process would be followed in the case of CJP leaders.

According to police sources, a team of Delhi Police personnel, accompanied by Gurugram Police, reached Mr. Rathee’s residence in Sector 56 of Gurugram and took him to an undisclosed location.

Mr. Rathee had reportedly travelled to the national capital to participate in the demonstration at Jantar Mantar. On Friday evening, he posted a video on Instagram, filmed at Kartavya Path, questioning the extensive security arrangements and transport restrictions introduced ahead of the protest.

On Saturday morning, Mr. Dipke and other CJP members arrived at the Delhi airport on an Air India flight from Mumbai. As soon as the aircraft landed, police personnel, led by women officers, entered the cabin and took the leaders into custody.

The CJP members raised slogans and recorded a live video from inside the aircraft, criticising the police action and describing it as “dictatorship”. They were subsequently escorted off the aircraft and taken away in a bus waiting on the airport tarmac.

At around 1 p.m., the Delhi Police detained Ms. Bora after she was denied permission to march towards Jantar Mantar. She had subsequently appealed on social media for people to assemble at Dilli Haat near INA.

“I am in detention. The movement is not,” she posted on her social media handle.

Protesters surrounded and attempted to block the police bus carrying Ms. Bora, raising slogans and demanding her release. She and other protesters were taken to a temporary detention facility in south Delhi.

Later in the evening, Ms. Bora said her phone had been taken away by the police and subsequently returned. She also said the women detained during the protest had been released from Maidan Garhi police station.

Air India seeks clarity

Meanwhile, Air India has written to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), seeking clarity on protocols after three CJP members were detained aboard flight AI 2428.

Senior Delhi Police personnel, accompanied by CISF officials, boarded the aircraft to take the activists into custody, catching the airline by surprise, sources said.

The flight departed Mumbai at 8 a.m. and arrived in Delhi at 10.20 a.m. Its parking bay was changed on CISF instructions before landing.

Air India has sought clarity on the guidelines permitting police personnel to board an aircraft and the apparent lack of prior coordination. 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.