CJP protests: Mass detentions, arrests, plea filed in SC | What happened so far in Delhi

The demonstration was blocked by heavy security deployment, while Arvind Kejriwal accused the Centre of imposing a crackdown worse than the Emergency

The Federal
10 Oct 2026 12:48 PM IST (Updated:2026-10-10 07:33:31)

Delhi Police on Saturday (October 10) chased Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters attempting to reach Jantar Mantar, detaining several as they regrouped and tried to evade the security cordon.

CJP leaders Abhijit Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at Delhi airport as they landed.

The protest was scheduled to begin at 10.30 am, but the police and paramilitary forces deterred the participants from reaching the Jantar Mantar site, which has been turned into a fortress, by detaining several and sending back many more.

Also read: CJP protests LIVE: Dipke, Rathee, Kejriwal, Left, student leaders detained

The CJP had called for a demonstration alleging voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and irregularities related to Form 6, used for voter registration, and demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Heavy police deployment

The police top brass monitored the situation and supervised the deployment made across the New Delhi area which has been divided into 20 sectors.

As protesters, many of them women, attempted to regroup at different locations, police chased them down and detained them in buses. A few agitators entered a gurdwara in the area amid the police action.

The police maintained a strict vigil across the district, with personnel deployed at key intersections and approach roads to prevent any gathering near Jantar Mantar. The police earlier denied permission for a protest at Jantar Mantar and imposed prohibitory orders in the zone.

Also read: CJP protest: Over 20,000 police, paramilitary personnel deployed in Delhi

Security forces carried out a flag march in the area and appealed to people to abide by the orders in force.

Contempt plea

A plea was filed in the Supreme Court seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the authorities for alleged blatant violation of the apex court's direction to ensure no complete prohibition of movement of the metro and trains run by Indian Railways in Delhi on October 10 due to the CJP protest.

The plea, filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, has arrayed Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chairperson D Thara as respondents.

"This brutal assault on the fundamental rights of the citizens and sheer disregard to the orders of this court amounts to a deliberate, intentional attempt on the part of Delhi Metro, Delhi Police and the Union government which must be dealt with an iron hand," the plea, filed through advocate Chand Qureshi, said.

‘Worse than Emergency’

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal slammed the Centre over the "worse than Emergency" security clampdown in central Delhi to thwart the CJP protest and the detention of the outfit's top leadership.

By arresting "cockroaches" on their flight, Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed he is scared, he said. "This is worse than the Emergency. It's official… We are living under an absolute dictatorship ruled by Modi. Arresting cockroaches straight off their flight shows an unprecedented level of fear," Kejriwal said on X.

Vote theft allegations

"PM Modi clearly knows he only won the election through vote chori and now he is hell-bent on protecting his fraud by completely crushing democracy. Gyanesh must go, but so must Modi," he added.

The AAP has alleged that Delhi Police turned Kejriwal's residence into a fortress ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party's protest at Jantar Mantar. On Friday (October 9), Kejriwal said he and his family will attend the protest and urged youngsters to join the demonstration for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged "vote theft".

Student protesters detained

Several members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and other student organisations, along with lawyers marching from the Supreme Court towards Jantar Mantar, were detained by the Delhi Police ahead of the proposed CJP protest.

The Delhi Police denied permission for the protest at Jantar Mantar, citing security considerations and procedural requirements.

Also read: CJP’s Dipke demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, warns of countrywide protests

SFI national president Adarsh M Saji told PTI that more than 400 members of the organisation were detained after they began their march around 10 am. The protesters were detained around 11 am, he said.

“The protesters have been detained. We are here to save democracy. This is a fight between autocracy and democracy. This fight is not over. Gyanesh Kumar will be thrown out of his seat,” a protester was heard saying from inside a police bus after being detained.

Mumbai protest crackdown

In Mumbai, ahead of the demonstration at August Kranti Maidan, police detained activist Tushar Gandhi and others from his organisation, 'Hum Bharat Ke Log'. The demonstration was planned in solidarity with the CJP's Jantar Mantar protest. Tushar Gandhi was picked up from Bandra and taken to DN Nagar police station, an official said.

In a post on X, the organisation had shared a poster urging citizens to join a protest gathering at August Kranti Maidan at 3.30 pm. Activist Feeroz Mithiborwala was also taken into custody from his residence and shifted to the MIDC police station.

Ahead of the proposed demonstration, Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ragasudha R stated that no application regarding the event had been submitted to the Gamdevi police station, and no official permission had been granted for the gathering, maintaining that August Kranti Maidan is not designated as a protest site.

(With agency inputs)

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