Sign a bond, skip Delhi: Maharashtra police warn would-be protesters against Oct 10 agitation

Days before the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) nationwide protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 10, activists and would-be protesters in Maharashtra have alleged that police tracked their movements, sought their travel plans and, in some cases, detained them and told them to stay away.

An official from the office of the Director General of Police (DGP) said notices had been issued in a handful of cases but denied any detentions in the state.

Sadaf Raza Zaidi, a 31-year-old creative strategist from Santacruz, said police personnel came to her home and questioned her about her plans for October 10.

“A few officers had come to my place of residence and they had asked where I would be going on the 10th of October. When I denied that I will not be going to the protest, they asked me if I knew anyone who would be going there. They also asked me to come to the police station and sign a document which stated that I will not be attending the protest. They said that they have orders to collect the data of potential protesters. The police had asked for my live location and I did not give them,” said Zaidi. She believes she was approached because she had been detained during a protest in July.

“When the NEET protest occurred in the month of July, I was detained. I guess they have been tracking people who were detained during the last time’s protest,” she said.

Civil society group Hum Bharat Ke Log alleged that MIDC police detained activists Feroze Mithiborwala and Salim Saboowala. Mithiborwala said the two had faced repeated summonses and harassment since October 2.

“They detained me for two hours and have asked me not to go to the October 10 protest. They also said that they can’t meet my wife in Pune. It is illegal,” he told The Indian Express. A senior police official denied this. “No such instance had taken place,” he said.

Story continues below this ad

Mayur Sharma, a Thane-based member of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), said he got several calls from police officials in Mumbai and Delhi about his travel plans.

“Initially, I received calls from one woman asking about my travel plans so she could join me with her group wanting to participate in the Delhi protest. This was strange because only five-six of us friends were planning to travel together. We were not really taking any group with us,” Sharma said.

Suspecting the callers were police, he told them his plans had changed. Fearing he would be stopped at Bandra Terminus, he and a friend boarded the train at Borivali on Wednesday evening. Then came another call, from the Delhi Railway Police.

“But soon after that I received a call from Delhi railway police, again seeking details of my travel journey. The officer on call claimed that they have information from Mumbai RPF that I am taking a group of 25 persons along to Delhi,” said Sharma.

Story continues below this ad

He got off near Faridabad instead of going on to Hazrat Nizamuddin station, where he feared police would be waiting, and took the Metro into Delhi.

The SHO of Nizamuddin police station confirmed police had called some members but said it was to maintain law and order. “We are maintaining an order situation,” he said.

In Nagpur, CJP volunteers alleged that Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel called them seeking the number and identities of those travelling to Delhi, and even offered to confirm the status of their waitlisted tickets.

At least two volunteers there have been served notices under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Story continues below this ad

One, issued by Ajni police station on October 6 to CJP worker Bharat Banait of Bhagwan Nagar, said police had confidential information that he planned to travel to the Jantar Mantar protest. Citing a prohibitory order across Nagpur city under Section 37(1)(3) of the Maharashtra Police Act, the senior inspector directed him to say when he would travel, by what mode and with whom. It warned of legal action if he went without giving the details and asked him to cooperate so that no untoward incident took place.

The other went to Akshay Ramteke, a volunteer from Kuhi in Nagpur district. Its subject reads: “Notice under Section 168 BNSS regarding dissuading from going to the CJP (Cockroach Janta Party) protest/march to be held in Delhi on 10.10.2026.”

It cited a confidential communication from the DGP’s office in Mumbai, Outward No. P.O./R.P.O.N.K./CJP 2026, dated October 4, and said the protest could lead to violence, road blockades and obstruction of government work. It advised Ramteke not to go and warned that if he did and any untoward incident occurred, he could be held responsible and face preventive action under Sections 126 and 135 of the BNSS and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He was also told to appear at Kuhi police station and submit a written bond that he would not attend the protest or disturb public peace.

Harssh Poddar, Superintendent of Police, Nagpur Rural, said a Section 168 notice is issued before a protest to ensure no cognisable offence is committed.

Story continues below this ad

An AISF member from Pune alleged police tracked students travelling to Delhi and tried to detain them at Bhusawal railway station. “We were approached by more than 10 police personnel at Bhusawal around 1.30 pm. They told us they were under pressure from higher authorities and attempted to detain us. We resisted and refused to be detained. Despite the train being diverted and delayed by more than seven hours, we are continuing our journey to Delhi. We recorded the incident and also went live on Instagram. Some of the students were later detained at Itarsi,” said Comrade Preeti of AISF, Pune.

The DGP office official said no detentions had taken place in the state so far. “There have been no instructions given from the headquarters to take harsh measures. In some instances individual Commissionerates and district SPs have taken action in the face of possible law and order problems,” the official said.

“Under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the police have the power to act to prevent the commission of a cognisable offence and Section 170(1) of BNSS enables preventive arrest to prevent cognisable offence,” the officer added.