Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Delhi Police Detain Nearly 1,000 in Jantar Mantar Protest
Nearly 1,000 people were detained during a protest near Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
The protesters wanted the chief election official, Gyanesh Kumar, to resign.
They said they were concerned about changes to voter lists and voters being removed.
Police said the protest had not been approved and that restrictions were in place.
About 5,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed.
Police used barricades and drones, and some protesters were taken away in buses.
Many detainees were later released.
Some scuffles were reported, and officials said they were checking videos that appeared to show police assaulting protesters.
Delhi Police detained nearly 1,000 protesters, including political leaders, students and civil society activists; many were later released.
Protesters called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign over alleged electoral-roll revision irregularities and voter deletions.
Police said the protest had not been permitted and imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
Around 5,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed, with barricades and drones used to monitor the area.
Police reported minor scuffles and injuries to some officers; officials said videos allegedly showing assaults were being verified.
- Who
- Delhi Police detained nearly 1,000 protesters, including political leaders, students and civil society activists.
- What
- A protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation was met with detentions and extensive security measures.
- When
- Friday, October 2; the articles do not specify the year.
- Where
- Jantar Mantar and nearby areas in New Delhi.
- Why
- Protesters cited alleged irregularities in electoral-roll revisions and the mass deletion of voters; police cited security and crowd-management concerns.
Protesters’ concerns
Police rationale
Reason for the protest and restrictions
Protesters’ concerns
Protesters demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged electoral-roll revision irregularities and mass voter deletions.
Police rationale
Police said the protest had not been permitted and that restrictions were imposed for security and crowd-management concerns.
Alleged police assaults
Protesters’ concerns
Videos allegedly showing police personnel assaulting protesters surfaced on social media.
Police rationale
Officials said they were verifying the videos’ authenticity, the personnel shown and the locations depicted.
- Detentions
- Nearly 1,000 people; police initially reported more than 700.
- Demand
- Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- Security deployment
- Around 5,000 Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel, including more than 10 companies of paramilitary forces.
- Expected crowd
- Police sources said they had received inputs that 4,000 to 5,000 people might gather.
- Legal restrictions
- Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita barred unauthorised assemblies, processions, sit-ins and sloganeering in the area.
- Other measures
- Barricades and drones were used; internet services were suspended and entry and exit at several nearby Metro stations were temporarily closed.
- Reported incidents
- Minor scuffles occurred, and some police personnel reportedly suffered minor injuries.
- Video review
- Officials said they were checking the authenticity, identities and locations in videos allegedly showing police assaulting protesters.
