Imran Khan and Lekha Washington detained in Mumbai as police block nationwide protests

Actors Imran Khan and Lekha Washington were detained by Mumbai Police on October 10 at August Kranti Maidan while heading to a demonstration called by the Cockroach Janata Party. Mumbai Police stated that no permission had been sought for the venue and that Bombay High Court rules permit protests only at Azad Maidan, while party workers maintained they had emailed a request without receiving a reply. Both actors posted updates from inside the police vehicle on social media during the detention.

Crackdown in Delhi

The Mumbai detentions formed part of a wider security crackdown across the country ahead of a planned protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, where thousands of people were detained by authorities. Delhi Police deployed over 40,000 personnel, sealed off the demonstration site, and invoked Section 163 of the BNSS to restrict gatherings. High-profile figures detained in the capital included former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, TMC leader Mamata Banerjee, and AISA president Neha Bora. The large-scale deployment caused widespread disruptions, including train and metro cancellations.

Film Industry Outrage

The police actions drew sharp criticism from several members of the entertainment industry. Prakash Raj questioned the detention of young protesters and CJP leaders like Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka before they reached the site. Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Dadlani, Apurva Asrani, Shirish Kunder, Vikramaditya Motwane, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, and Vir Das also voiced opposition on social media against the heavy security measures and use of force.

Context

The protests were organized by the Cockroach Janata Party to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. This agitation followed an investigative report by The Indian Express revealing that other Election Commissioners had raised multiple objections over ten months to decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.