SUPREME COURT WARNING FAILS TO HALT DETENTIONS AS CJP SOLIDARITY MARCH SPREADS ACROSS DELHI AND MUMBAI
October 11, 2026
More than 100 protesters were detained across New Delhi on Sunday as demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar entered their second day, despite the Supreme Court’s directions against the illegal detention of peaceful demonstrators. Members of student organisations, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters and opposition representatives attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar but were intercepted by police at several locations.
Protesters gathered in Connaught Place, near Rajiv Chowk and around the RK Ashram Marg Metro station, raising slogans demanding Kumar’s resignation. Police personnel moved in to disperse the gatherings, with several demonstrators seen being pulled by their arms and carried or dragged towards waiting police buses. More than 40 people were detained near RK Ashram Marg alone, according to police sources, while the total number of detainees across the capital had exceeded 100 by the afternoon.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas was among those detained. He alleged that Delhi Police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel manhandled him despite his identifying himself as a Member of Parliament. Brittas claimed that he and another man were forcibly pushed into seats on a police bus and pinned down in a manner that left them struggling to breathe. He said a deputy commissioner of police intervened after becoming aware of the incident, following which he was removed from the bus and put into an autorickshaw without police personnel accompanying him.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) alleged that hundreds of its activists had been detained and taken to Surajmal Stadium in Nangloi. The organisation said its national president, Adarsh M. Saji, Delhi state secretary Sooraj Elamon, central executive committee member Abhijith Manilal and several other members were among those detained. It further alleged that its leaders had been assaulted inside police vehicles and claimed that Brittas had been attacked and later left by the roadside. These allegations had not been independently established.
The All India Students’ Association (AISA) also attempted to mobilise demonstrators near Vijay Chowk and RK Ashram Marg. Its president, Neha Bora, was detained alongside other activists as police moved to prevent the group from proceeding towards the protest area. Videos showed demonstrators shouting slogans before officers surrounded them and took them into custody.
In a separate incident, the CJP alleged that protesters near Connaught Place Metro station and Gurdwara Bangla Sahib had been detained while attempting to form human chains. The organisation claimed that doctors and other people participating peacefully near the gurdwara were also taken into custody. Another group, the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, staged a protest from boats near Nigambodh Ghat, holding posters and demanding Kumar’s resignation.
The police action was not confined to the national capital. In Mumbai, activist Anjali Damania was among those detained after arriving at Shivaji Park in Dadar to participate in a solidarity demonstration supporting the CJP. Damania said officers in plain clothes intercepted her and took her away in a private vehicle without informing her where she was being taken. Police officials said most people detained near Shivaji Park had been moved to the local police station or nearby stations and warned that legal action would be taken against gatherings held without permission.
The demonstrations came after the Supreme Court had directed authorities to ensure that peaceful protesters were not illegally detained and that public transport and internet services operated in accordance with the law. The court had also stressed that lawyers and journalists should not be obstructed from performing their professional duties. The renewed detentions on Sunday intensified questions about how those directions were being implemented on the ground.
Delhi remained under heavy security, with more than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed across the capital. The CJP had called for a renewed demonstration at Jantar Mantar at 10 am on Sunday after police prevented its supporters from assembling at the venue on Saturday. The previous day’s operation had resulted in the detention of thousands of people, including CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, as well as several opposition politicians.
The CJP and supporting organisations are demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s functioning and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. They argue that the revision process raises concerns about voter deletions and electoral transparency. The BJP and the Election Commission have rejected allegations of deliberate electoral manipulation.
The second day of demonstrations has widened the dispute beyond the original demand against the chief election commissioner. The detention of student leaders, an elected parliamentarian and activists in multiple cities has sharpened the debate over the right to peaceful assembly, the proportionality of police action and compliance with judicial directions. With the CJP and allied groups continuing to mobilise, the confrontation over electoral accountability and protest restrictions remains unresolved.
