Bombay High Court bars unlawful detentions in CEC protest case

Bombay High Court ruled on Tuesday that it will not sanction arrests that breach legal standards, while hearing a petition over police detentions during protests against the Chief Election Commissioner in Mumbai on Oct 10‑11. The bench, led by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna, ordered the petitioner to list each detention on record and said it could not simply dismiss all arrests. The petition, filed by lawyer Sagar Kantilal Devre, alleges that police held roughly 600 people on Oct 10 and about 300 on Oct 11. Those taken into custody included by‑standers, women and a mother with a child. It also claims authorities entered homes to detain individuals whose names appeared in FIRs linked to the July 2026 demonstrations, which the Supreme Court later overturned. Devre seeks preservation of CCTV footage, police logs, a comprehensive detainee list and an inquiry into any force used. The court adjourned the matter to the following Monday. State counsel asked for a delay, noting he had only just received a copy of the petition. ## Context The decision underscores the court’s role in checking police actions during political protests and follows a Supreme Court ruling that nullified earlier July protests, highlighting ongoing tension between law‑enforcement and civil liberties in India.