New Delhi, October 10 — Delhi Police released the vast majority of protesters detained during Saturday’s sweeping crackdown on a planned demonstration in the national capital, though leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) remained in custody, officials said.
All detainees were held at detention centres across Delhi had been released, except CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das. The police said “due legal process” would be followed in their cases.
The detentions came as authorities moved to prevent a CJP-led march to Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. More than 7,000 people were reportedly detained across the capital, including over 2,000 in the New Delhi district, amid a massive security operation involving tens of thousands of personnel and extensive barricading.
Among those detained and later released were several senior opposition figures, including former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar. Kejriwal was released from Jaffarpur police station after more than five hours in detention, while Vijayan was freed along with CPI(M) MP John Brittas and former Kerala minister K.N. Balagopal from Mandir Marg police station.
The crackdown also drew criticism from press-freedom groups after journalists covering the protest were detained. The Committee to Protect Journalists urged Delhi Police to release detained media workers and allow unhindered coverage of the demonstrations. News outlet Newslaundry said its three journalists were released after being driven around the city for more than an hour.
CJP leaders condemned the action as “authoritarian detention” and demanded the immediate release of their leadership. The party’s national organisation in-charge, Ajinkya Shinde, said the movement would not retreat until its demand for the election commissioner’s resignation was met, and called for supporters to resume the Jantar Mantar march on Sunday.
Police maintained a heavy presence around central Delhi through the evening, with Jantar Mantar largely deserted after the day’s preventive detentions. Officials did not immediately specify the legal provisions under which the remaining CJP leaders would be proceeded against.
The releases eased immediate tensions but left the political confrontation unresolved, with the CJP insisting that its protest would continue and police signalling continued vigilance across the capital.
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