On October 10, 11 and 12, Delhi police detained thousands of protesters, including journalists, youth organisations and minors. The arrests followed flash‑mob rallies by groups such as the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Revolutionary Workers’ Party of India and Disha Students’ Organisation, who protested the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site. Police stopped the demonstrators at Sansad Marg and detained them, and on October 11 activists from the Cockroach Janta Party were seized near Connaught Place.
Detained individuals report physical and verbal abuse. RWPI member Vishal said he was beaten and taken to a detention centre, while another member, Nishu, said police denied water even after detainees fainted in the van. She displayed bruises on her hands, face and legs. Disha member Aranya was reportedly held by the throat by policewomen on a bus, later isolated and beaten in a moving prison‑van, with witnesses hearing her screams.
Other detainees claim they were forced to sit in rows inside the van, hand over phones and were then thrashed. Arjun Unnikrishan described transport to an isolated police camp near the LIC building where officers, including one identified as Mr. Arvind Kumar, confiscated mobile phones and assaulted protesters. The van, described as having seven to eight compartments, held about ten people each, and was said to be a cramped space where police slapped, punched and struck detainees, including four minors.
Environment journalist M. Rajshekhar, who was not beaten, observed the systematic nature of the assaults. He said each detainee was beaten by three officers in turn for about 30 seconds, and leaders were singled out. Phones were snatched, leaving many unable to contact family after release. He was spared when he identified himself as a photographer. The detainees were released late on Sunday night, but many did not receive their phones back.
