Economist Jean Dreze and activists detained by Delhi Police near Jantar Mantar

Economist and activist Jean Dreze along with three other people was detained by Delhi Police near Kerala House close to Jantar Mantar on Saturday while participating in a demonstration with posters for the Cockroach Janata Party. The other three people taken into custody alongside Dreze, who lives in Jharkhand, were filmmaker Aban Raza, scholar and researcher Paran Amitava, and scholar and artist Anjali S. Dreze stated that officers arrived while the small group was holding posters and talking to reporters, forcing them into a vehicle without giving any explanation.

Detention Details

According to Dreze, heavy security and road blocks stopped many other supporters from reaching the demonstration venue. He mentioned that train services including routes from Ranchi had experienced cancellations just after he reached the capital on Friday morning, which added to travel troubles for attendees. Amitava confirmed that officers took their group to a different police station before shifting them to Adarsh Nagar police station, also alleging that police seized phones and tore up their posters.

Bystander Allegations

In addition to the activists, roughly thirty to thirty-five individuals from working-class and minority backgrounds who had no connection to the demonstration were also held and mistreated. Shahid Hussain from Bhagalpur stated that officers took and broke his phone after he left the New Delhi railway station to find food. Gulfam from Hapur said police stopped him near the protest spot while he walked towards Bangla Sahib Gurdwara for seva and guided him onto a bus. Saurabh from Karol Bagh reported that he was detained while trying to reach the railway station after visiting a friend and was promised a quick release that did not happen.

Context

Jantar Mantar in New Delhi serves as a designated space for public demonstrations, gatherings, and protests by various groups. Police authorities in the national capital frequently implement crowd control measures, barricades, and preventive detentions during political demonstrations to manage public order and traffic flow.