Before sunrise on Saturday, October 10, 2026, Delhi police began a mass detention operation. According to reports, officers took into custody more than a thousand individuals across the city. The detentions began in the early hours. Approximately 250 of those taken into custody came from South East Delhi. A significant number of detentions occurred in Shaheen Bagh, a site previously known for the 2020 anti‑CAA protests.
The detentions came ahead of a joint protest called by the Cockroach Janata Party together with leftist student organizations. Their demand was clear: the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The detentions occurred across the city as part of a security push ahead of the planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Delhi police tightened security across the city, erecting barricades at borders and key locations.
Delhi police tightened security across the city, erecting barricades at borders and key locations.
In anticipation of the demonstration slated for Jantar Mantar, a traditional rally site in central Delhi, police tightened security across the city. Officers erected barricades at city borders and at key intersections, aiming to control the flow of people toward the protest venue.
West Central Railway and Western Railway cancelled several Delhi-bound trains on Friday, citing anticipated heavy traffic congestion in the national capital and other operational reasons. The cancellations came a day before the Cockroach Janta Party's planned protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday. More details: https://t.co/3NUr5IqtsB #IndianRailways #DelhiProtest #Delhi #Travel
Both the Cockroach Janata Party and Delhi Police were characterized as critical in their stances.