Anti-CEC Protests: Mass Detentions, Journalists Held and Four Arrests After Assault Video, What We Know

New Delhi, October 12: Videos and posts from the anti-CEC protests have flooded social media over the past three days. They show heavy security deployments, detentions on Delhi's streets and scuffles at several locations. The protests demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Many videos are unverified, so this report separates what has been confirmed from what is alleged.

Security deployment and detentions

Delhi Police denied permission for the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar. They imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in the New Delhi district. Before the protest, more than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel were reported on duty. Later reports put the deployment at about 30,000. Police also asked the metro to consider closing gates at 57 stations.

Outlook reported that more than 7,000 protesters were detained on October 10. On the second day, over 200 more were reported detained, including at least 12 journalists. According to NewsBytes, CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained on arrival in Delhi. They were released after signing a one-year "good conduct" bond.

Journalists held despite press cards

Reporters from mainstream and independent outlets were detained while covering the protests, and several said they showed their press cards. Three journalists from Indian Express Hindi were among those held. Media bodies said press freedom cannot depend on PIB accreditation, since much digital and independent media does not have it. On October 11, the Supreme Court asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure that lawyers, journalists and others are not obstructed in their professional duties.

The assault video and four arrests

A video shot on DDU Marg in the Kamla Market police station area shows men hitting and pushing protesters, including women. Police arrested four men: Raman Saini, Vivekanand, Kapil Kumar and Ravinder Singh. Police said they claimed links to the right-wing Hindu Raksha Dal, and that they acted on their own after seeing the video. The Wire reported that the group's president, Pinky Chaudhary, acknowledged the four as members. The CJP accused BJP and RSS members of assaulting a woman protester while police stood by. It asked on X why Delhi Police was "helping goons" attack peaceful protesters. The BJP has not been linked to the arrests by police. The accusation is the CJP's.

UN concern and India's response

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on October 10 that it was concerned by reports of mass detentions of protesters, organisers, civil society representatives, lawyers and media personnel before and during the rallies in Delhi. It added that any restriction on peaceful protest must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected the remarks on Sunday, October 11. It called them "unwarranted" and an unacceptable interference in the country's internal affairs. The ministry said the right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by the Constitution but remains subject to public order and safety. It also accused the UN body of "double standards" and "extreme selectivity". It said the body had not commented on violent responses to protests in India's neighbourhood or on law enforcement actions near its own base. An identical statement was issued by India's Permanent Mission in Geneva. Reports differ on the scale of the detentions the UN was reacting to: PTI reported more than 7,000 detained on Saturday, while another outlet put the figure at over 2,000.

Claims circulating online that NewsTRNT could not verify

Alongside the confirmed reports, social media carries claims that NewsTRNT could not independently verify. Readers should treat them as allegations. Users allege that police are detaining ordinary passers-by, lawyers and bystanders along with protesters, including people who were silent or had no connection to the protests. Some posts describe a man detained while visiting a hospitalised relative and another who was shopping with his brother. Others claim that people who signal affiliation with certain groups are let through while everyone else is stopped. Some posts and commentators call the men who attack protesters "RSS and BJP goons". Police have linked only the four arrested men to the Hindu Raksha Dal, and the claim about BJP or RSS involvement comes from the CJP and social media users, not from the police. Some journalists say police are letting in only media outlets seen as favourable to the ruling party. The documented facts are the detention of journalists with press cards and the criticism of PIB accreditation as a condition for covering protests. Some users say the Supreme Court has only advised caution without issuing orders. The court's recorded directions are described above. A video also circulating online is said to show a woman making demeaning remarks about women's safety in Delhi. We could not confirm who she is, when it was filmed, or whether it relates to these protests. Some users argue that the policing of these protests raises a wider question about law and order in the capital. That is commentary, not a reported finding. We will update this report if any of these claims is confirmed, denied or clarified by police, the courts or the individuals involved.