Three days, thousands detained, a capital on lockdown and a Supreme Court forced into a Sunday sitting — the complete record of Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest, from the airport arrests to the opposition's writ petition.
October 12, 2026 — Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest has grown from a single banned demonstration into a three-day national confrontation: police detained thousands of protesters, held the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leadership overnight, arrested four men over an attack on marchers, and drew a rare Sunday intervention from the Supreme Court — before opposition leaders marched on the court itself on Monday and Rahul Gandhi filed a writ petition seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Image: Protesters with blank placards behind police barricades at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, with the observatory's red sandstone structures in the background. Credit: AI-generated illustration / Red Eye Eagle News, original illustration.
Editor's Highlight: The protest was never allowed to happen at Jantar Mantar at all. Permission was refused on October 9, and by the time the first marchers moved on Saturday morning, their leaders were already in custody — one of them taken off a plane. Everything since has been about that fact: who can protest in Delhi, where, and on whose say-so.
Table of Contents
- Key Facts
- Why Delhi Erupted: The SIR Row
- Day 1, October 10: The Crackdown
- Who Was Detained
- The Attack on DDU Marg
- Day 2, October 11: Releases and the Supreme Court
- Day 3, October 12: The Opposition Marches
- The Detention Numbers: Why Reports Differ
- The Government's Case
- Viral Videos: What Fact-Checkers Flagged
- What Happens Next
- Bottom Line
- FAQ
- Sources
Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Protest | CJP-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, from October 10, 2026 |
| Core demand | Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar; scrapping of the SIR of electoral rolls |
| Permission | Refused by Delhi Police on October 9; BNSS Section 163 prohibitory orders in force in New Delhi district |
| Security | More than 35,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed, according to ANI; 221 central armed police companies approved for October 8-12 |
| Detained on Oct 10 | About 1,500 (police figure) to more than 3,000 (Tribune, ETV Bharat, Times of India) |
| Key arrests | CJP's Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka held overnight; released October 11 on ₹50,000 surety bonds |
| Violence | Attack on marchers at DDU Marg blamed on Hindu Raksha Dal claimants; four arrested; six police injured near Akashwani Bhawan, officials said |
| Courts | Supreme Court Sunday sitting barred illegal detentions; contempt notices issued; hearings listed for October 13 |
Why Delhi Erupted: The SIR Row
The Cockroach Janta Party is a youth movement that began online in May 2026. It called the Jantar Mantar protest to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, an exercise the party says deleted millions of voters' names.
On October 9, Delhi Police refused permission for the demonstration. Joint Commissioner Nupur Prasad gave four reasons: the request came three days before the event when ten days' notice is required, the group had broken undertakings at an earlier protest, the law-and-order situation, and public safety and traffic.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the protest would go ahead anyway. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS were in force across New Delhi district.
Newsroom Focus: The Supreme Court had already been drawn in before the protest began. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant ordered there be no complete prohibition on Metro movement, while not overturning the refusal of permission — a balance both sides have fought over ever since.
Day 1, October 10: The Crackdown
The lockdown started the night before. Metro station closures began at 9 pm on Friday — first covering 57 stations, cut to 45 after the court hearing — and mobile internet was cut within about 4 km of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing from 10 pm. Northern Railway cancelled 38 trains due at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin on Saturday morning.
| Time (Oct 10) | Event |
| ~8:00 am | YouTuber Dhruv Rathee detained at his Gurugram home after refusing police advice not to travel to Delhi |
| ~10:20 am | Police board Dipke's aircraft at IGI Airport and detain him; Das and Ranka also held |
| Morning | Kejriwal detained leaving home; Mamata Banerjee and TMC MPs detained at South Avenue; Vijayan and Left leaders detained en route |
| Through the day | Thousands detained across the capital; gatherings splinter into smaller protests; stones reported near Akashwani Bhawan |
| Evening | Most detainees released, including Kejriwal and Banerjee; three CJP leaders held overnight |
| Night | Metro stations reopen at 10 pm, ending a 25-hour closure; habeas corpus petitions filed in the Supreme Court |
Dipke recorded the police boarding his flight from Mumbai, telling officers he had come to be arrested. The three leaders were held under preventive arrest (BNSS sections 126 and 170), according to Delhi Police, and could not be contacted for hours — a point CJP pressed hard, raising concerns about their whereabouts.
Officials told PTI that stones were thrown as police stopped a CJP march near Akashwani Bhawan; by evening, ETV Bharat put injured police personnel at six. Police said personnel had been told to show maximum restraint.
Analysis Note: In a personal tragedy inside the day's events, Dipke's grandmother died hours after his detention. Delhi Police said he was informed of the last-rites schedule and offered all possible help to travel home on humanitarian grounds.
Who Was Detained
The detentions reached well beyond the CJP. Among those reported detained on October 10:
| Person / group | Where |
| Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka (CJP) | IGI Airport, off their aircraft; held overnight |
| Dhruv Rathee, YouTuber | His Gurugram residence, morning |
| Arvind Kejriwal (AAP) | Outside his residence, which police had surrounded since morning |
| Mamata Banerjee + TMC MPs | South Avenue, central Delhi |
| Pinarayi Vijayan, M.A. Baby, Brinda Karat, John Brittas, K.N. Balagopal, Manik Sarkar (Left) | En route to Jantar Mantar; taken to Chhatrasal Stadium |
| Kavya Karnatac (creator) and Ratna Singh (CJP legal head) | Dhaula Kuan |
| Lawyers marching from the Supreme Court; reporters of Newslaundry and Scroll | Central Delhi |
Detainees were taken to Chhatrasal Stadium, used as a temporary detention facility, and to various police stations. The UN human rights office said all those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released.
Image: Police escorting detained young protesters toward a bus on a barricaded central Delhi road, a shuttered metro entrance behind them. Credit: AI-generated illustration / Red Eye Eagle News, original illustration.
The Attack on DDU Marg
The day's ugliest episode came away from the barricades. On DDU Marg, a group of men assaulted students and manhandled women protesters, according to police and video from the scene. Videos showed men in saffron scarves threatening demonstrators and cheering the police action.
Hindu Raksha Dal chief Pinki Chaudhary claimed responsibility for the attack in a post on X and threatened further action. On October 11, Delhi Police arrested four men who claimed to be members of the group, in connection with one of the filmed incidents; other videos showed confrontations at different locations.
Practical Takeaway: The arrests matter beyond one street. The Delhi High Court has listed a plea by the student group NSUI seeking a special investigation into the October 10 violence — the attack is now formally part of the legal fight.
Day 2, October 11: Releases and the Supreme Court
Sunday began at Delhi Cantt police station, where Dipke, Das and Ranka were produced before the Executive Magistrate. The court ordered their release; Delhi Police said each furnished a ₹50,000 surety bond to keep the peace for one year. CJP says the bond covers breach of the peace and does not stop peaceful protest.
At a press conference, the released leaders announced "Jantar Mantar 2.0" — protests in Delhi and across the country until Kumar resigns. Co-convenor Saurav Das alleged the leaders were held without formal notice, denied lawyers, and had phones seized without seizure memos; he said they suspect the phones were tampered with. These are the party's allegations; police have not answered them in detail.
The Supreme Court sat on Sunday — Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana — on habeas corpus and contempt pleas. The bench:
- Ordered that people gathering peacefully must not be illegally detained, and that peaceful, unarmed protesters can be detained only by procedure established by law.
- Directed that metro and rail services run normally, internet stay undisturbed as per law, and people and traffic move freely.
- Said lawyers, journalists and other professionals must not be stopped from working.
- Found a prima facie case of contempt over the metro closures and issued notice to the Home Secretary, the Delhi Police Commissioner and the DMRC chief, with replies due by October 13.
Former Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told the court a former junior of his had been "dumped 11 kilometres away" by police without explanation. The bench also had the Section 163 prohibitory board outside the Supreme Court itself taken down.
On the streets, day two brought a fresh march: more than 100 protesters, including members of student groups SFI, AISA and KYS, were detained marching toward Jantar Mantar, with police filmed dragging protesters into buses. CJP said five more of its leaders were detained near Gurdwara Bangla Sahib — police have not confirmed that. Solidarity protests spread: activist Anjali Damania was detained at a pro-CJP protest in Mumbai, and CJP Telangana demonstrated at Hyderabad's Dharna Chowk.
Police also registered more than 20 FIRs over the protests, for offences including obstructing official duties and assaulting police personnel, officials told IANS. Dhruv Rathee, released by Sunday, said he had been "kidnapped", not detained — his word; police have not publicly explained the legal basis of his detention. Activist Sonam Wangchuk called the situation an "undeclared emergency". The Ministry of External Affairs rejected the UN rights office's concerns as "misplaced" and an "unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India", The Hindu reported.
Day 3, October 12: The Opposition Marches
Monday opened with the capital still restricted: the DMRC closed entry and exit at six central stations — Patel Chowk, Janpath, Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Central Secretariat and Barakhamba Road — from 6 am, reopening them after 5 pm, citing security reasons.
Two decisions reframed the fight. CJP gave Delhi Police 24 hours to allot it a Jantar Mantar date. And it emerged that a Delhi Police order dated October 11, citing a Home Ministry committee, no longer lists Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site — naming Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground instead. For India's most famous protest address, that is a historic change, and it is certain to be challenged.
In the afternoon, INDIA bloc leaders — including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi — marched from Barakhamba Road toward the Supreme Court, after the Chief Justice had declined a Sunday request to meet them and told them to approach the court judicially. By evening, Rahul Gandhi had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the SIR voter deletions and seeking Gyanesh Kumar's removal, with ten INDIA bloc leaders — from Kharge to Akhilesh Yadav and Supriya Sule — as co-petitioners. The court registry later flagged more than ten defects in the petition, PTI reported, which may delay its hearing.
Elsewhere on Monday: the Supreme Court agreed to hear on Tuesday the Bar Association's plea on internet cuts and court access, after senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan alleged police excesses against lawyers; the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution seeking the CEC's removal; and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan dismissed Congress as "a group of hooligans". A contempt plea also alleges police defied the court's order protecting journalists.
The Detention Numbers: Why Reports Differ
There is no single agreed figure for October 10. The main reported counts:
| Figure | Source |
| About 1,500 | Delhi Police, via Hindustan Times |
| More than 2,000 | Reuters |
| More than 3,000 | The Tribune, ETV Bharat, The Times of India |
| Up to 7,000 | Claimed by CJP and AAP leaders; no published evidence |
Analysis Note: The gap is partly method — who counts a brief roadside pickup as a detention, and which districts are included. Readers should treat the police figure as a floor and the 3,000-plus figure as the best-corroborated upper count from established outlets.
The Government's Case
The government's position, put to the court by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, is that the measures were proportionate: the protest had no permission, followed violence after a July 20 march, and — he argued — women police officers had been harassed by protesters that week. Delhi Police say many videos in circulation show old incidents, other states, or AI-generated footage, and that a man claiming to be a sub-inspector who quit to join the protest is not on their rolls.
Viral Videos: What Fact-Checkers Flagged
PIB Fact Check flagged a train-roof video and a September video being shared as October 10 crowds, and identified a video claiming Delhi Police shot five protesters dead as a 2020 clip. In a story this charged, treat dramatic footage with no date or location with suspicion — some of the most-shared clips of the weekend were not what they claimed to be.
What Happens Next
- Tuesday, October 13: the Supreme Court hears the Bar Association, CPI(M), ADR and related pleas; contempt replies from the Home Secretary, Police Commissioner and DMRC chief are due.
- The Delhi High Court hears the NSUI and Youth Congress pleas, including the call for a special probe into the October 10 violence.
- CJP's 24-hour deadline for a Jantar Mantar date expires — and the party has told Delhi supporters to stay ready for its "next call".
- Whether the order removing Jantar Mantar as a protest site is challenged in court.
Bottom Line
In three days, a banned Saturday protest became a test of India's protest rights: thousands detained, opposition chief ministers and MPs held, an attack on marchers, a Sunday Supreme Court sitting, and the protest site itself struck off the official list. The legal battle now moves to Tuesday's hearings — and the political battle, both sides promise, back to the streets.
FAQ
Why were people protesting at Jantar Mantar?
The CJP and supporting opposition parties demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which they say deleted millions of voters. The Election Commission and the government defend the exercise.
How many people were detained in the Jantar Mantar protest?
For October 10, Delhi Police put it at about 1,500 (via Hindustan Times); Reuters said more than 2,000; The Tribune, ETV Bharat and The Times of India said more than 3,000. More than 100 more were detained on October 11.
Who attacked the protesters, and was anyone arrested?
Men claiming to be Hindu Raksha Dal members assaulted students and manhandled women on DDU Marg on October 10; the group's chief Pinki Chaudhary claimed responsibility online. Police arrested four men on October 11.
What did the Supreme Court order?
At a special Sunday sitting on October 11, the court barred illegal detention of peaceful protesters, directed normal metro, rail and internet services and free movement, protected lawyers and journalists at work, and issued contempt notices over the metro closures, with replies due October 13.
Is Jantar Mantar still a protest site?
A Delhi Police order dated October 11, citing a Home Ministry committee, names Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground instead — Jantar Mantar is not on the list. The change is expected to be challenged.
Sources
- Nation Press — over 3,000 detained as police block CJP protest; CJP leaders detained at IGI Airport: https://www.nationpress.com/national/3000-held-as-delhi-blocks-cjp-jantar-mantar-march and https://www.nationpress.com/national/cjps-dipke-detained-at-delhi-airport
- Dainik Jagran English — 1,000 detained ahead of Jantar Mantar rally; Left leaders detained: https://english.dainikjagranmpcg.com/national/-delhi-protest-1000-detained-ahead-of-jantar-mantar-rally/article-37444
- Hindustan Times via The Business Standard — Dhruv Rathee detained in Gurugram; CJP reaction: https://www.tbsnews.net/world/south-asia/dictator-terrified-delhi-cops-detain-dhruv-rathee-ahead-jantar-mantar-protest-cjp
- Latestly — magistrate court orders release of CJP leaders; leaders produced before magistrate: https://www.latestly.com/india/news/jantar-mantar-protest-executive-magistrate-court-orders-release-of-cjp-leaders-abhijit-dipke-saurav-das-and-ashutosh-ranka-7640312.html
- Live Law — CJP member moves Supreme Court habeas corpus plea for Dipke, Das and others: https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/cec-protest-cjp-moves-supreme-court-seeking-release-of-abhijeet-dipke-saurav-das-others-over-alleged-detention-554107
- Reporter World News (PTI live blog) — four arrested over DDU Marg assault; 100+ detained on day two; 24-hour ultimatum: https://reporterworldnews.com/news/india/2026/10/11/cjp-protest-jantar-mantar-against-cec-live-updates
- IANS via Hi India — Delhi Police register over 20 FIRs in the Jantar Mantar stir: https://hiindia.com/delhi-police-register-over-20-firs-in-cjp-jantar-mantar-stir-case/
- LiveMint — day-two live updates: Supreme Court special session, metro and traffic curbs: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/cjp-protest-in-delhi-janatar-mantar-day-2-live-updates-cec-gyanesh-kumar-abhijeet-dipke-sir-dhruv-rathee-modi-amit-shah-11791654942253.html
- Protest Record — independently sourced running fact file on the Jantar Mantar protest (detention figures, court orders, October 12 march and petition): https://protestrecord.com/
- ABP News via YouTube — Supreme Court on Delhi Police and the CJP protest — video ID 5uTEpZYnN0o
- Hero and detention images: original AI-generated illustrations for Red Eye Eagle News.
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