In the early hours of October 10, Delhi Police imposed traffic restrictions at 6 a.m., prompting a broad deployment of police and security forces across the city. Early‑morning protesters from the National Capital Region, including Gurugram and Faridabad, managed to reach the Ashoka Road entrance of the Jantar Mantar protest site before the curfew took effect.
As the day progressed, security forces blocked major thoroughfares such as Janpath and Ashoka Road. Officers and security personnel held debriefing sessions amid a large contingent of officials carrying tear‑gas munitions, indicating a heightened readiness to manage the gathering.
By 9 a.m., at least five protesters who had entered the Ashoka Road entrance were detained and placed on buses that surrounded the area. Among those arrested were 63‑year‑old Shaheena from Gurugram, her 36‑year‑old daughter Sabika Muzaffar, 25‑year‑old software engineer Geetika from Faridabad, and two other men. The mother‑daughter pair had driven into Delhi at 5 a.m., believing that early arrival would reduce the risk of confrontation.
Shaheena, a homemaker, told reporters that she felt compelled to be present to defend democracy against the ruling BJP government, citing concerns that citizenship was being questioned through the SIR process. Geetika, who left home at 4 a.m. without informing her family, said that intense security arrangements the day before had frightened her, yet ultimately convinced her that the protest was necessary. She questioned the lack of investigation into serious allegations against the CEC, as reported in the Indian Express.
