Delhi police detain CJP leaders and journalists ahead of banned Jantar Mantar protest

Delhi Police detained our reporters Ashwine, Astha and Anmol, along with intern Anshu, who were covering the October 10 protest.Police seized the phones of Anmol and Anshu, and pushed Ashwine before snatching his phone. When the journalists identified themselves as members of the media, they were reportedly told, “Koi media nahin hai.”Around 30 people, including protesters and journalists, were put into a single bus and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium in north Delhi. Our reporters have identified Inspector Dhan Singh Malik as the officer who snatched the phones.Scroll’s Ayush Tiwari also detainedScroll’s investigative reporter Ayush Tiwari was detained by Delhi Police near ITO, the outlet’s executive editor Supriya Sharma said in a post on X.“My colleague, one of India’s best investigative reporters, Ayush Tiwari @sighyush, has been detained by Delhi Police near ITO,” Sharma wrote. “He was not even at Jantar Mantar. He had his press card prominently displayed. He told the police many times he was a journalist. Despite that he was bundled into a van and taken away.”Content creator Kavya Karnatac and crew reportedly detainedDigital content creator and independent journalist Kavya Karnatac, founder of KK Create, and her crew were reportedly detained by Delhi Police while travelling to cover the Jantar Mantar protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.#WATCH | Delhi: Security forces detain protesters, including several content creators, in Dhaula Kuan ahead of the CJP protest. https://t.co/lj8GMlNXtO— ANI (@ANI) October 10, 2026 The reported detentions come amid a widespread police crackdown across the national capital, with journalists, activists and protesters facing restrictions.Ground Report | Journalists and Mediapersons show their Press cards as Police continue to detain them. Follow @thequint for more updates. #CockroachJantaParty #Protest #JantarMantar #Delhi #Politics https://t.co/TAPxD4Kd7Y— The Quint (@TheQuint) October 10, 2026 From the ground: Park Hotel near Jantar MantarDuring the last Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in July, many influencers and content creators stayed at the Park Hotel near Jantar Mantar and covered the demonstration from there. They came to the hotel again this time, but the outcome was different.Police have been inside the hotel in force since morning. Hotel staff told Newslaundry that officers have been there since last night and instructed them not to admit anyone without a booking. Even guests who have booked rooms are being kept out by police barricades.Newslaundry has also learnt that influencer Harsh Yadav, who has a room at the hotel, had his room’s internet shut off. He has locked himself in so that police cannot detain him. Influencers, meanwhile, are not being allowed to leave the hotel.Police are distinguishing between YouTubers and “traditional” mediaAt these protests, police have drawn a clear distinction between YouTube journalists and those from traditional media. YouTubers are being barred from covering the protest, while traditional media are allowed in. Police are asking media personnel directly whether they are YouTubers; if so, they deny entry. They are also demanding PIB and other government-mandated press accreditation.Complaining about the media is easy. Why not do something to make it better? Support independent media and subscribe to Newslaundry today. 

Delhi Police have detained core members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including national convenor Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, after their flight landed this morning. Videos posted on social media show police entering the plane and detaining them.Abhijeet Dipke DETAINED! Saurav Das DETAINED! Ashutosh Ranka DETAINED! To save his traitor friend, the dictator has declared war against his own citizens! https://t.co/cUGrdetlx2— Cockroach Janta Party - CJP (@Cockroachisback) October 10, 2026 As Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das landed in Delhi, police entered their flight. Don't miss the ANI mic inside the plane. https://t.co/MzXj8TcYj0— Parth MN (@parthpunter) October 10, 2026 Abhijeet, Ashu, and Saurav have been picked up by the Delhi Police from the aircraft at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport. They are being taken to an undisclosed location inside the airport. https://t.co/ZNTBVHZ3dO— Anish Gawande (@anishgawande) October 10, 2026 Prominent YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was also detained t his residence in Gurugram on Saturday morning. According to News18, about 50 police personnel gathered outside his home late on Friday night. Delhi Police also detained Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) legal affairs head Ratna Singh at her residence.The detentions came as the CJP and the All India Students’ Association (AISA) prepared for a protest at Jantar Mantar, scheduled for 10 am, demanding the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. Efforts to keep people out of the capital appeared to extend well beyond Delhi’s borders.Independent journalist Raj Shekhar told Newslaundry that bus services into Delhi had been effectively halted. Travelling from Delhi towards Palwal and the KMP highway from 7 am, he counted three buses heading to Delhi between 7:30 and 9:30 am. A Haryana Roadways employee at Ballabhgarh told him buses were being diverted at KMP towards Kundli. Cab drivers said buses were being stopped at barricades beyond Palwal, and bus station staff had been told not to sell Delhi tickets.Shekhar said buses are being turned away 50 to 80 km outside the city. “People travel to Delhi for more than just the protest,” the roadways employee said. “How can the government just shut down buses like this? How can they stop people from moving around in their own country?”It is unclear whether the tactic will work. The 26-year-old cab driver who took Shekhar from Ballabhgarh to KMP and back said people would get off at Kundli and elsewhere and make their way in. “If not today, they will come tomorrow,” he said.Restrictions on mediaIn Central Delhi, Newslaundry reporter Anmol Pritam was at Connaught Place by 6:42 am, watching Delhi Police detain people walking toward Jantar Mantar. Reporters were not allowed to cross the road to the area where people were being held. Police cited an SOP for media personnel, saying a designated space had been allotted to the press. Pritam said journalists were told that anyone stepping beyond it would be pushed back and threatened with detention. A team from Khabar Lahariya that tried to reach a bus carrying detainees was turned back. He noted that during an earlier protest, reporters could go up to Tolstoy Road or the Janpath Metro station. This time, they could not.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Newslaundry (@newslaundry) Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar, reporting from Janpath Road near the Shangri-La Hotel at 8 am, described hundreds of Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force, and other paramilitary personnel on patrol. Barricades had been set up at entry points to the New Delhi district, ID cards were being checked, and vehicles were stopped and their occupants questioned. Announcements were being made, and no one was let through without verification. Police told him in no uncertain terms that YouTubers would not be allowed through. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Newslaundry (@newslaundry) A city under checkpointsAccording to The Indian Express, at least 1,000 people were detained overnight, including 250 from the South East district, particularly areas around Shaheen Bagh, and more than 100 from Shahdara and East Delhi. By 9 am, at least 100 more had been picked up from Connaught Place’s inner circle, many of whom police said had spent the night there in small groups.The paper reported that over 35,000 Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel were mobilised on directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Rapid Action Force teams, body cameras and the all-women “Pink Force” were also deployed, and flag marches were held across the Connaught Place area. Authorities closed 57 Delhi Metro station gates, and prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita remained in force. Around 3,000 personnel were stationed near Parliament Street police station, with about a dozen buses parked to carry away anyone who reached the site.Peek TV’s Vedanta, reporting at 7:30 am, described checkpoints every five to six kilometres and said even an ambulance was stopped. Commuters were asked where they were headed and why, and were asked for Aadhaar cards. He said detention centres had been set up in every district of Delhi so that people could be held before reaching Jantar Mantar.A warning to the pressSpeaking to PTI, government sources said security personnel would take action against “individuals claiming to be independent journalists” if they provoke police or create a confrontation. Suffice to say, the term is undefined, and it is unclear who decides. PTI also reported that Delhi Police expect around 7,000 protesters and will move arrivals to designated detention centres. Earlier in the morning, Dipke said in a social media post that “Modi has accepted defeat even before our protest has begun.” The “mass crackdown” and the shutdown of the capital, he said, were signs of a leader “terrified of his own people.”This is a developing story and will be updated.

The Delhi police on Friday told its personnel to “prepare for the storm” as the national capital went on high alert ahead of Saturday’s proposed protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar against SIR of electoral rolls and to seek the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.Also Watch: Apart from nearly 15,000 Delhi police personnel, nearly 25,000 central force personnel would also be deployed to prevent the protest for which permission was denied by New Delhi range police on Friday.The Delhi police denied permission for the October 10 protest citing public safety, law-and-order and traffic concerns, as well as alleged noncompliance with directions during an earlier protest. It also pointed out that the notice was submitted at the last minute rather than the required 10 days in advance under official guidelines. Earlier, CJP co-convener Saurav Das had on October 7 submitted an intimation letter and application to the Delhi Police regarding the planned demonstration.#WATCH | Mumbai: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) Founder Abhijeet Dipke says, "I wonder why the Prime Minister of this country is so afraid of the nation's youth and its people. What was the need to shut down all railway services? What was the need to halt all metro operations? They… pic.twitter.com/JbSvnZ2wvo— ANI (@ANI) October 10, 2026 Das and other CJP organizers, however, maintained that they were formally intimating the police rather than seeking permission, arguing that Jantar Mantar is a designated protest site and that the police’s role is to facilitate peaceful gatherings and handle traffic and law and order. CJP convener Abhijeet Dipke, however, said the protest will go ahead despite the ban and that organisers are prepared to face arrest. “What is this fear? Why are you so scared? You are scared of the youth in the country. You shut down trains, you shut down Metro, what should one do?” he said, questioning the restrictions imposed on commuters.“Is Delhi a property of Narendra Modi or Amit Shah? Is this their ancestral property? Is this their paternal property?” he askedDipke questioned the need for police permission to protest at Jantar Mantar, calling it a designated protest site and citing Article 19 of the Constitution.Mumbai, Maharashtra: CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke says, "Did Gyanesh Kumar take permission before deleting 13 crore votes? The Supreme Court had said that it had not even approved the modification of Form 16. When Gyanesh Kumar deletes 13 crore votes without informing anyone or… pic.twitter.com/Aqt6pB4Hw7— IANS (@ians_india) October 9, 2026 “Did Gyanesh Kumar take permission? Before deleting 13 crore votes, did Gyanesh Kumar take permission?” he asked, alleging that the electoral roll revision had resulted in large-scale deletion of votes.Daring the authorities to arrest him, Dipke said CJP activists were prepared to face detention. “How many people will they detain? Arrest me, detain me! Saurabh is ready, Ashutosh is ready. Arrest me, detain me!” he said.In a video posted on social media, Dipke and fellow activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka also mocked the transport curbs, with Dipke declaring: “Koi baat nahi, sir. Kal aa rahe hain hum, kal. Theek hai, see you tomorrow, bye.”The current police mobilisation and denial of permission follows earlier CJP protests over the public examination system in June-July this year, which had drawn crowds to central Delhi and triggered clashes with police.In view of the fear of a repeat of the July 22 violence, Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) Madhur Verma wrote in a post to security personnel on “X”: “Prepare for the storm. Practise restraint. Protect the peace. Because the true strength of the police is not merely in controlling a crowd, but in doing so with discipline, dignity and minimum force.”Prepare for the storm. Practise restraint. Protect the peace. Because the true strength of the police is not merely in controlling a crowd, but in doing so with discipline, dignity and minimum force. pic.twitter.com/yEPWnEDVLH— Madhur Verma (@IPSMadhurVerma) October 9, 2026 The Union Home Ministry has made preparations to deny access to Jantar Mantar to the protesters through a range of measures. Around 23,000 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel have been made available to Delhi Police for deployment between October 8 and 12, taking their total number in Delhi to over 25,000. Of these, around 7,000 CRPF personnel have been brought in from Chhattisgarh and West Bengal with anti-riot equipment.Prior to this Home Minister Amit Shah had cancelled his visits to Telangana, Meghalaya and Mizoram scheduled for October 4 and 5, as well as a proposed visit to Manipur on October 7, to be available in Delhi to monitor the situation since the CJP had on October 3 issued a call to its supporters to assembly in Delhi.Meanwhile, the police have also invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which empowers authorities to restrict gatherings and other activities to prevent threats to public order.To prevent protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar, Delhi Police has also asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to close entry and exit gates at 57 stations from Friday night until the situation normalises. Indian Railways has also cancelled several services scheduled to arrive at or depart from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4 a.m. and 2 p.m. on October 10. (See accompanying stories) The police have also established multi-layered barricades and stepped up surveillance at Delhi’s entry points. Besides, CCTV monitoring and face-recognition systems have been activated or installed to identify troublemakers and monitor and record developments.Police teams have also been checking hotel, hostel and guest-house registers and monitoring group travel bookings to identify possible movements of demonstrators.

Adarsh is a third-year BSc student from Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh. He wants to pursue a career in journalism, and has been making videos on social issues for about a year, covering problems in his village such as unbuilt roads, waterlogging, and garbage. Managing his own expenses, he took a train from Bareilly on October 1 and reached Delhi on the morning of October 2. He came to Delhi to cover the protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after learning that some voters from his village had been deleted from the electoral rolls. He said he had never covered a protest before. “It’s not just our village’s problem. It’s the whole nation’s problem,” he said.  But when Adarsh learnt that a woman journalist was allegedly sexually harassed and assaulted by ACP Vivek Bhagat of the Delhi Police while she was covering the protest on October 2, he felt that he should stand with her. From October 3 until the morning of October 5, he was among the journalists, content creators, and others who had gathered outside the Parliament Police Station demanding an FIR against the officer. “On October 5, I was just making videos of the protesters, while they were talking to the police. I was not involved in the conversation. Suddenly police personnel came and put us in a bus,” he said. Adarsh is one of the 17 people arrested in connection with the protest outside the Parliament Street police station who were later released on bail. Newslaundry spoke to him and several others, among them students, content creators and independent journalists, who had come to Delhi to cover the protest and others to stand with the complainant. What the police didAround 20 people were detained early on the morning of October 5, and 17 of them were formally arrested that afternoon, according to arrest memos the court examined. The Delhi Police told the court that the 17 were part of an unlawful assembly that obstructed a public space where a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was in force. They allege that, while being detained, the protesters manhandled and assaulted police personnel, injuring a woman police official, and damaging public property. Police have booked the 17 under relevant sections of the BNS and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. All 17 are now out on bail. Two of the accused have alleged custodial violence and the court has called for a report from the DCP, New Delhi, and ordered that the CCTV footage from the police station be preserved.  The Delhi Police, meanwhile, has received three complaints of sexual harassment against its personnel; two by women journalists, and one by a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protester. Why they cameThose booked in the case came from different parts of the countryGajendra Singh, a Noida-based independent journalist who runs the digital outlet News Diggy, has widely covered the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests, the Congress party’s Chatron Ka Goonj and other such events. Some of the people at the protest in front of the Parliament Street police station are associated with News Diggy, including the complainant. Gajendra learnt what had happened to her, he supported her demand to register an FIR against the accused officer. He also called on people to sit there and demand the same. He also called on people to sit there and demand the same. Poster circulated by Gajendra on WhatsAppSpeaking to Newslaundry, he said, “Jo humare saath galat hua hai, hum awaaz uthayenge. As a journalist, yeh kaam main nahi chhodunga.” [We will raise our voices against the wrong done to us. As a journalist, I will not give up this work.]Anuj Bhagat, a content creator and a friend of Gajendra’s, is from Deoria, Uttar Pradesh. Before getting into journalism and content creation, he prepared for the UPSC civil services examination in Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi, from 2019 and 2023. When that didn’t work out, he started teaching and opened a coaching centre in Allahabad, where he prepared students for competitive examinations. About two years ago, he began making political and news-related videos on Instagram, and started covering protests and political events. Anuj said he came to Delhi on October 4 after Gajendra had asked him to help make videos of the protest in front of the police station and reach out to his media contacts for coverage. Staying with friends in Delhi, he came to the protest site during the day. “If there is injustice anywhere, you have to stand up, whatever the consequences. The complainant and Gajendra are my friends, so I will always support them,” he said. Dharmender, 25, is a student from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, who is in the final year of his B.Ed at a college in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He said he had gone to the CJP protest back in July and, this time, went to show his support after learning about what allegedly happened to the woman journalist. He does not regret protesting in front of the police station. “I did not think much. I went there to support her. If standing in support is the right thing, then I will do it. Marna hai to ek din. Kuch karke jaana hai,” he said. Kunjal, a content creator who lives in Gurugram, makes news-related videos while also working another job. A native of Kota, Rajasthan, she has lived in the NCR region for the past six years and was part of the gathering at the Parliament Street police station on October 4. The complainant is her friend, and so is Gajendra. Kunjal said she was there to support them. She had also covered a CJP protest earlier, but said she was at this protest because of her friends. She said, “I was released on a personal bond, but I was very afraid during the process. This is not the way the police should behave.” She said she would continue to stand with her friends and support them. “I am a woman. I should stand for women’s safety,” she added. Ash (name changed), a 19-year-old student of Shiv Nadar University, records videos for different student unions and recently started her own page. She told Newslaundry that her parents do not know about the FIR or the incident; they only know about the detention. “My parents don’t want me to attend any protest,” she added. Although she was released on a personal bond, she told Newslaundry that she was afraid throughout the process, from her detention to the FIR.Others at the protest who were arrested and charged by the Delhi Police included artists, and activists from people ranging from Madhya Pradesh to Hyderabad. An activist from Hyderabad told Newslaundry that they had previously come to Delhi to attend the CJP protests in July and have been living in the city since.The Rs 15,000 bondThe October 5 orders set different terms for the women and the men. Four women were granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 15,000 alone, with no surety. The 13 men were granted bail on a bail bond of Rs 15,000 with one surety of the same amount. The orders record that the bail bond was not furnished that night, and the men were sent to judicial custody for a day, before they were released by the court on October 6. Of the 13 men, five were able to furnish sureties, while the other eight must furnish the surety within 14 days. If they fail to do so, they could be arrested, according to the advocates who represented the accused. For Dharmender, a major concern after his arrest is the Rs 15,000 surety amount. “I’m worried about how I will arrange the money. I will ask for help or somehow arrange it through other people,” he said, adding that Gajendra supported him during the process. Some people, however, have already found help. Gajendra said, “I got help from some people to submit my bail bond.” When asked who paid for him, he declined to say. His friend Anuj managed to pay the amount with assistance from the Indian Youth Congress (IYC). Adarsh cannot afford the Rs 15,000, and said he will ask others for help to pay it. The police, meanwhile, asked him to submit the Rs 500 he had on him when he was detained, but he claimed he did not receive it back when he was released on the night of October 6. The accused collected their personal belongings from the police on October 8. The Tihar experienceAfter his detention, Gajendra was scared for a while. He had never been detained before. “Why are journalists being detained? How are they treating journalists like this?” he asked. Dharmender said, “After my MLC, I was thinking about what would happen to me. I thought they would let me go home from there. But instead they took us to Tihar Jail.”His family knows that he supports protests and stands against what he believes is wrong. “My family knows, and they support me. They tell me to stand against what is wrong.” Anuj had been detained once before, at a CJP protest, after an altercation with some right-wing influencers who knew him. Police detained him along with them but released him later that evening. However, he said this was the first time had been arrested, booked in an FIR and kept in custody in Tihar Jail. He said he knew there could be consequences for covering protests and raising questions about the system. What affected him more was what he saw inside Tihar Jail. Anuj alleged that some of the other people detained with them were assaulted and called “cockroaches” by other prisoners. Newslaundry has emailed Anand Mohan, Director General (Prisons), about the allegations that other inmates assaulted the detainees. The copy will be updated when a response is received.Despite being detained and spending time in custody, Anuj said he would continue to support his friends and colleagues. He said he would participate again if a similar protest took place. “We have not stepped away. We are also thinking of taking the case legally and will approach the High Court.”Their lawyers told Newslaundry that their bail conditions don’t prevent them from participating in lawful protests, i.e. those organised with permission from the police. Advocates Simon Farouqi and Abhist Hela are representing the 17 accused. Farouqi is part of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) legal team, while Hela is an independent lawyer. Adarsh, meanwhile, said he was not afraid while in detention, but the language used by some prisoners in Tihar made him uncomfortable. Despite what happened, Adarsh said he would participate again if another protest took place. “I don’t want to hear from my children or the coming generation that when all this corruption and wrong was happening in the country, what were you doing?” he added.He said he did not regret anything from his detention to the FIR, but doesn’t know what impact it could have on his future. “I have not done anything wrong,” he stated. But he has one question for the government: “Why was I sent to Tihar? For what crime?” A quarter-century of Modi governance calls for questions and a hamper. To mark the occasion, we have offers for subscribers and other readers.

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and several Left-wing organisations have called for a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.Security in the capital has been tightened, with heavy barricading around Jantar Mantar, a large deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary forces, and a request from Delhi Police to the Delhi Metro to close 57 stations from tonight. Ahead of the protest, organising bodies and student groups allege that police in various states are visiting the homes of their activists to stop them from travelling to Delhi.In Gujarat, students, social activists and youth active on public interest issues say they have received calls from the police. Several told Newslaundry that officers visited their homes, and one said he was made to sign a written assurance that he would not travel to Delhi. There are also instances of some people being detained.‘I was made to sign a statement saying I wouldn’t go to Delhi’Jigra, an Ahmedabad resident, is a law student. He is not affiliated with any political organisation but has participated in local movements and protests. He was also active in recent local protests regarding the NEET-UG paper leak.He recounts that around 7:30 pm on October 8, a group of officers in civilian clothes from the Crime Branch reached near his home in a Gypsy and two SUVs to pick him up.He says, “Some of my family members are in the police force. When they found out, they informed the police that I was a family member. Afterwards, they called me downstairs, questioned me, and made me sign a document. The document contained some of my personal details and a statement declaring that I would not participate in the CJP protest scheduled for October 10 in Delhi.”Jigra adds, "I wasn't going to attend the protest anyway due to family reasons. However, the manner in which the police arrived and forced me to sign that statement was deeply unsettling.”‘My mother was asked whether I was going to Delhi’Pratik, a 21-year-old engineer from Ahmedabad, also participates in local movements. On Thursday, his mother received a phone call. The caller asked for his mobile number, but she refused to provide it.He says, “My mother was out of the house when she received the call. When she returned, she encountered a stranger downstairs. He asked if she was my mother. When she confirmed this, he asked her if I was going to Delhi on October 10.”The man left shortly after. Upon learning about the incident from his mother, Pratik called the number back.“The person who answered identified himself as being from the Crime Branch. He asked me the same question – whether I was going to Delhi or not. I asked where he had obtained my address and my mother’s number. When I repeatedly asked this, he disconnected the call.”Pratik later learned that the individual had arrived at his housing society on a motorcycle, asked the society secretary about him, and obtained his mobile number from there.‘The police reached my room’Sawan Jhalaria, an Ahmedabad resident, is a professor and active on social issues. He frequently participates in various movements and campaigns organised in the city.Sawan recounts that he was out for some work on Thursday when the police arrived at his residence. They first questioned his roommates about who lived there and when they made the rent agreement. Later, he received a phone call in which they asked about his occupation. When he described his work, they began asking about his schedule – specifically, when he leaves and returns.Sawan says, “I asked them what they intended to do with this information and how they had managed to reach my home. I told them that if they needed any information, they could have asked me to come over, and I would have.” According to him, the caller disconnected the phone after he asked these questions.Sawan notes, “Anyone active in public movements here is receiving calls from the police, or having officers show up at their homes.”Sawan at the demonstration regarding vote theftCrime Branch office, then the police station, and finally, house arrestAccording to Ashwin Vaghela, a social activist from Ahmedabad, he was speaking to residents of a slum settlement about health-related issues around 4 pm on Thursday (October 8) when two police officers arrived.Vaghela recounts, “I asked the officers to let me finish some work, but they refused. They took me to the Crime Branch office at Haveli, where they confiscated my phone. I was interrogated for about four hours. They kept asking why I wanted to attend the protest in Delhi, insisting I shouldn’t go, and inquiring about how many people were planning to participate.”He states that the police subsequently took him to the Gomtipur police station – the same area where he resides. Three of his associates – Dharmesh Vaghela, Pravinbhai, and Ramaben Solanki – were also brought there.Vaghela claims they were detained at the station for a considerable time. Meanwhile, news of their detention spread, and hundreds of people gathered outside the Gomtipur police station to protest; some even sat down in protest outside the premises.He adds, “The Police Inspector (PI) then asked us to submit a written undertaking stating that we would not participate in the protest scheduled for October 10 at Jantar Mantar. We were told we would be allowed to go home only if we did so; otherwise, we would be held at the station until 4 pm on October 9. We refused to provide such a written statement. We told them, ‘Keep us wherever you wish, but we will not sign any such document.’”Ashwin Vaghela (in a pink shirt) at his home, with Crime Branch officers in the background.According to Vaghela, the crowd outside the station kept growing. Eventually, around 2 am on October 9, the four of them were allowed to go home. However, he claims that he has now been placed under house arrest, with police personnel deployed outside his home.Several similar cases have come to light. Personnel from the Crime Branch are picking people up and dropping them off at police stations.When we called Sneh Bhavsar, an activist involved in social movements in Ahmedabad, around 9:00 am on October 9, he said he was currently sitting at a police station. Crime Branch officials had arrived at Bhavsar’s home at 7:45 am and asked him to accompany them.According to Bhavsar, the Crime Branch brought him to the University police station and left him there. When he asked why, they said the Police Sub-Inspector would explain when he arrived. When we last spoke to Bhavsar at 11.30 am, the PSI had not yet arrived, and he was still at the station.Sneh Bhavsar at the police stationBhavsar says it appears the police’s objective is to keep him detained at the station for the day so that he cannot attend any protests.Additionally, the police have placed SFI state general secretary and lawyer Satyesha Leuva under house arrest at her residence in Sabarkantha district. In addition to being a lawyer, Leuva is the Sarpanch of Vadvasa Gram Panchayat.There are demands for their immediate release.Meanwhile, in Ahmedabad, Dev Desai, associated with the Anhad Foundation, has also been placed under house arrest. Desai told Newslaundry that two Crime Branch officers arrived at his home on Friday morning. They asked if he was going to Delhi; he said no. Since then, they have been stationed outside his house.Newslaundry contacted the Gujarat Police for comment on these allegations. Sharad Singhal, Joint CP of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, stated that he would not comment on the matter. A quarter-century of Modi governance calls for questions and a hamper. To mark the occasion, we have offers for subscribers and other readers.Train detentions, PG meetings: Police move against October 10 protest over CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The Indian state machinery has moved to ensure that Jantar Mantar does not become the site of a second Cockroach Janata Party agitation.Accounts from Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat describe police warning students against attending, calling activists and their families, visiting homes and offices, and detaining people travelling to Delhi for the October 10 demonstration.At a paying guest accommodation near Delhi University, a student stated that police warned residents that attending could lead to FIRs and hurt their job prospects. In Madhya Pradesh, an All India Students’ Federation (AISF) member said police detained her and others from a Pune to Delhi train at Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh. As of midnight on October 9, she said she remained locked inside a resort. Deepak Baliyan, co-in-charge of the CJP, told Newslaundry that Alwar police had arrived at his house and asked him to come to the police station. The protest has been organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), All India Students’ Association (AISA) and AISF, and supported by the Aam Aadmi Party. Senior police officials told Newslaundry that preparations were “stricter” than those for the July protests and that police would try to prevent people from reaching Jantar Mantar.Delhi Police hold meeting at PG near DU, approach residentsA Delhi University student, speaking to Newslaundry on condition of anonymity, said Delhi Police came to their paying guest accommodation in Shakti Nagar during dinner and held a meeting inside the mess.The student said the police appealed to them in an “emotional manner”, warning them that FIRs could be registered against them, and that they could be detained, and that this could make it difficult for them to get jobs in the future.The student also said the police reminded them that their parents had sent them to Delhi to study and not to participate in protests. The student said that, following the PG collapse tragedy in Satya Niketan last month, such meetings had been held regularly, during which police helped students understand safety measures.Delhi Police sources told Newslaundry that preparations for the October 10 protest were “stricter” than those for the July protests. According to them the police would try to prevent people from reaching Jantar Mantar and were monitoring movement and mobilisation.The sources also claimed that meetings had been held at the university and hostel levels to make students aware that gathering near Jantar Mantar and adjoining areas would be illegal because prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) had been imposed.Hindustan Times had earlier reported that Delhi Police had directed station house officers to monitor protesters with alleged criminal antecedents, track buses headed towards the New Delhi district and engage with educational institutions and paying guest accommodation owners to discourage students from joining the demonstration.Residents also asked not to participateThe police outreach has also extended beyond students. A resident of the Turkman Gate area told Newslaundry that police held meetings with local groups, urging them not to attend any protests in the capital.The Hindu had also reported that a meeting was held with district police officials and local residents to discuss maintaining law and order ahead of the October 10 protest. Speaking to Newslaundry, Mohammad Shahid Gangohi, a resident of Chandni Mahal, said police officials held meetings in their area and told residents the gathering on October 10 was illegal and that the entire New Delhi district was under BNS 163. He said that when residents argued protest was a fundamental right, police officials countered that the right has constitutional limits. Gangohi noted that their tone was not threatening; however, the police officials made sure to make people aware to not be a part of any mob.Teacher says police called her three timesSheetal Choudhary, a teacher who was active during the CJP-led protest against the NEET paper leak and other examination irregularities, also spoke to Newslaundry. Choudhary had participated in a hunger strike during that protest and underwent health check-ups, some of which were organised by the police. She said she had provided her phone number and other details during these check-ups.Choudhary alleged that she received three calls from the police on October 8. According to her account, the callers asked about her political involvement, whether she was associated with any political party and whether she had attended any protests.“They were asking about my location, but they also knew which district I was from,” she claimed. Choudhary said she was unsure whether the people who called her were police personnel. She claimed that one of the calls was from Madhuban Bapu Dham Police Station in Ghaziabad.Newslaundry spoke to SHO Ramkishan, who denied this claim. We are also trying to reach the DCP, and we will update the story if we receive a response.ASFI delegation detained inside train near ItarsiMeanwhile, people travelling to Delhi for the protest have reportedly faced police action in other states. Shravni Buwa told Newslaundry that she was travelling from Pune to Delhi by train when police entered the train and detained her and others at Itarsi station in Madhya Pradesh.According to Buwa, the group was taken to a location around five to 10 minutes from the station, although she said she was unsure of the exact location. She described the place as a banquet hall.Buwa said that there were 12 protesters in the group, including five women. She said they were a mix of AISF members and members of the New Students and Youth Federation (NSYF), Pune. She added that two other people detained with them were not associated with either organisation.“I think the police are tracking social media,” Buwa claimed.She also said the group had been provided water and food, adding that they had not eaten earlier. According to her, the police had initially taken their phones but returned them later, which she attributed to what she believed was external pressure.As per the location Buwa shared with Newslaundry on WhatsApp, the map pin showed their location near “The Park Club and Resort” around Itarsi. As of 12 am on October 9, Buwa said she remained locked inside the resort.Buwa also told Newslaundry that another AISF member travelling with the group to Delhi had been detained at Bhusawal station. In a statement, AISF condemned what it described as “the high-handed, unconstitutional, and unlawful attempt by the Maharashtra Police to arbitrarily detain a student delegation”.The delegation was travelling on the 12779 Goa Express from Pune to New Delhi.Newslaundry tried to contact the police in Itarsi, but they didn’t pick up our calls.CJP, AAP student wing and SFI members face alleged police actionIn Rajasthan, Deepak Baliyan, the CJP’s co-in-charge based in Alwar, spoke to Newslaundry at around 8:15 pm on October 8, Thursday.Baliyan claimed that police personnel had arrived at his house to detain him. According to him, constables asked him to come to the police station but did not provide any notice. He said he livestreamed the incident. Newslaundry reached out to Alwar Police. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an officer said that police personnel had gone to Baliyan’s house but did not share any further details.Following the conversation, CJP leader Saurav Das posted on X that Baliyan had been taken to an unknown location by the Rajasthan Police and expressed concern for his safety.Our Organisation Co-incharge @deepakbaliyan90 has been taken to this unknown location by the Rajasthan Police. We are concerned about his life. The BJP is behaving like a Mafia Don party and coordinating with its syndicates in BJP-ruled states. But this won’t stop us! How many will you detain or arrest? Entire India will have to come out on the roads now! @Cockroachisback— Saurav Das (@SauravDassss) October 8, 2026 Eeshna Gupta, co-in-charge of ASAP Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing, also told Newslaundry that she and other members had faced repeated police action in the days leading up to the protest.Gupta claimed that police began calling her and her family on the night before October 2. She said police personnel came to her house on the morning of October 2 but that she managed to escape.She alleged that police later detained her and other ASAP members and took them to Badarpur police station. According to Gupta, on October 3, police detained them again while they were allegedly making memes and protesting, and took them to Jaffarpur Police Station in Najafgarh.She claimed that the police station was around 50 km away and almost in Haryana, which, according to her, made it difficult and unsafe for women to return. Gupta alleged that ASAP members had continued to be detained and threatened for protesting and raising awareness in Delhi, particularly as October 10 approached.Adarsh Saji, national president of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), told Newslaundry that around 10 to 12 police personnel came to the organisation’s office at around 9 pm on Thursday.Saji alleged that the police asked security personnel where specific people were staying, where the office was located, their phone numbers and how many people were expected to come to the office.He also alleged that one of SFI’s district convenors from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Arif, was under house arrest. According to Saji, Arif had been planning to travel to Delhi by the following morning or evening.Saji further claimed that police had visited more than 10 houses of SFI activists that day. He alleged that SFI’s Gujarat state secretary Satya Shal Nevu, who is also an All India Vice-President, was under house arrest in Gujarat.According to Saji, police personnel had also been calling student leaders, particularly state office-bearers, asking where they were and how many people they were mobilising.Saji alleged that police personnel also visited the SFI central committee office, where security personnel and some members of the organisation were present. According to him, the police asked where SFI members were staying and how many student activists were present in the office.SFI Delhi’s X account also posted about the incident, claiming that a group of policemen carrying lathis arrived at HKS Surjeet Bhawan in New Delhi, where the SFI Central Executive Committee office is located, searching for SFI activists. The organisation also alleged that police tried to collect details of SFI activists travelling to Delhi for the protest.A group of policemen carrying lathis arrived at HKS Surjeet Bhawan, New Delhi, where the SFI Central Executive Committee office is located, searching for SFI activists. The police also tried to collect details of SFI activists coming to Delhi to participate in the protest. SFI will not back down in the face of such intimidation tactics by the BJP-RSS using the police. SFI will participate in large numbers in the 10th October protest against Vote Chori. Delhi Police, are you trying to scare us or silence us? Do you want to see how many of us will come? Amit Shah ji, we will be in thousands. Let's wait and watch. Don't panic. #gyaneshitsdonebro #gyaneshkumarmustresign— SFI (@SFI_CEC) October 8, 2026 RWPI member says police have been calling him for a weekYogesh Swamy, a member of the Revolutionary Workers Party of India (RWPI), told Newslaundry that he had been receiving calls from the police for the past week.Swamy claimed that police personnel had been asking about his whereabouts and telling him to come and meet them. According to him, they also told him that if he did not come, they would visit his house to meet him.“Today they asked me what my plan was for the October 10 protest,” he claimed.Swamy said he expected that police might detain him or place him under house arrest. He also claimed that a police officer asked him to take a photograph with him, saying that he would show the photograph and tell others that he had met Swamy and that Swamy would not attend the protest.Swamy said he had not met anyone from the police as of Thursday, October 8. A quarter-century of Modi governance calls for questions and a hamper. To mark the occasion, we have offers for subscribers and other readers.