Media365
Actor Imran Khan and his girlfriend, actor Lekha Washington were detained by Mumbai Police on October 10 amid protests called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). They were detained at August Kranti Maidan, the proposed venue for a demonstration in support of the party.
The police action came amid a wider crackdown in Delhi ahead of a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, where nearly 4000 people were reportedly detained. Those detained included activists, party workers and others attempting to reach the protest site. The crackdown drew criticism from several members of the film industry, including Prakash Raj, Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Dadlani.
Imran Khan shared a picture on social media amid the developments, with the caption, “Apparently I’m going for a drive.”
Lekha also shared a video from inside a police vehicle as the situation unfolded. In the video, she informed her followers that they had been detained and were being taken away in a police vehicle.
“Folks, we have been detained. We are all in a cop car. I am going to send the pin. Can you please follow that? I have no idea where we are going. Let’s hope for the best,” she said, appealing to people to track their location.
Why were Imran Khan, Lekha Washington detained in Mumbai?
Mumbai Police said permission had not been sought for the proposed protest at August Kranti Maidan. They also said they could not grant permission at the location because Bombay High Court directions allow protests only at Azad Maidan.
CJP workers, however, claimed they had emailed the Mumbai Police seeking permission but had received no response.
#WATCH | Mumbai: Actor Imran Khan detained from Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan, which was the proposed protest venue in support of CJP’s protest call. https://t.co/iZtCAVGDuZ
— ANI (@ANI) October 10, 2026
The party called for protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls after an Indian Express investigation.
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Prakash Raj slams police action in Delhi
Among those criticising the crackdown was actor and activist Prakash Raj. He shared a cartoon by Satish Acharya on X and wrote, “How long will you escape from Citizens dissent #justasking.”
In another post, Prakash shared a video addressing the detention of CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. He questioned why young protesters were being detained before they could reach the demonstration site.
“What is this hungama? Detaining youngsters from the flights and homes? Not even letting them reaching the protest site? You have not arrested our voice! You have arrested yourself. This country will not let you kill democracy, it is a long fight and we will continue to ask questions… Game on! The nation is watching.”
Fraand .. how long will you stop a river.. #justasking https://t.co/AjBwiR6hVg
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) October 10, 2026
A day earlier, the actor had also reacted to reports of train cancellations and heavy security in Delhi. He referred to a dialogue from his film Singham, in which he played antagonist Jaykant Shikre, while commenting on the situation.
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Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Dadlani and other celebrities react
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also expressed support for the protesters through posts on Instagram. On Saturday, he wrote, “Do Darpok, 40,000 ghulam, Lakhon bahadur (2 of them scared, 40,000 of them slaves, and lakhs of bravehearts).”
In another post, Anurag Kashyap urged people to follow All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora’s live updates. Bora had joined hundreds of people at Dilli Haat before she was detained.
Singer Vishal Dadlani criticised the police action in a video shared on Instagram. He questioned the scale of the security deployment and the reported disruption to public transport.
“At present, the whole world is watching that the system can go to such lengths to save one person. They are going against its own people, their right to protest in this country. 23 battalions have been called for the crackdown. The entire city is on a standstill, with cancellations of trains and metros. Only to save one person! So think for yourself what this person must have done for this system and how the system has been broken down to save him.”
Filmmaker and editor Apurva Asrani also reacted to the detentions of Abhijeet Dipke, Ratna Singh and Dhruv Rathee on October 10.
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He wrote, “Tell me this is not dictatorship.” In another post, he added, “The end of democracy.”
Filmmaker Shirish Kunder questioned the use of force against protesters, writing, “How long can you survive if you have to use force to protect yourself from your own people?”
In another post, he said, “When even the kids start mocking you, it’s time to realise that absolutely no one is scared of you anymore.”
Director Vikramaditya Motwane also shared posts on Instagram Stories criticising the detentions. Actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub expressed solidarity with the protesters by sharing a Hindi translation of a poem by German playwright Bertolt Brecht on X.
Comedian Vir Das also reacted by sharing a screenshot explaining the Streisand Effect, suggesting that the response to the protests could draw even more public attention to them.
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Heavy security at Jantar Mantar
The planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar was met with extensive security arrangements. Delhi Police sealed off the protest site, barricaded nearby roads and used loudspeakers to warn people against unauthorised gatherings and road blockades.
Reports said more than 40,000 Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel had been deployed across the capital. Authorities also invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which allows restrictions to be imposed to prevent potential public-order problems.
Several CJP leaders, activists and journalists were among those detained as police tried to prevent protesters from gathering at the venue.
The CJP’s demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation followed a September 23 investigation by The Indian Express, which reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and procedures linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
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On September 24, the CJP demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation within 48 hours, warning that it would launch a nationwide protest if he failed to step down.
