Delhi locks down to block protests seeking CEC Gyanesh Kumar exit
On Friday evening, at least 30,000 police and paramilitary forces had thrown an unprecedented multi-level security blanket over Delhi. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan wrote to all states and Union Territories to say that the government had prohibited Saturday’s assembly, and to direct them to coordinate with the Delhi Police to “pre-empt any breach of public tranquility and to safeguard critical infrastructure”.
Leaders of the political Opposition met with President Droupadi Murmu in the evening and handed her a memorandum on the alleged “vote chori” by the Election Commission and the central government. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said they would give a similar memorandum to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Monday.
Earlier in the day, a Supreme Court Bench led by the CJI expressed concern over the extraordinary curbs imposed on the capital and observed that “you cannot use a hammer to kill a fly”.
Around 22 officers of DCP-rank will supervise arrangements in the New Delhi district, where Jantar Mantar is located. (EXPRESS PHOTO BY PRAVEEN KHANNA)
The massive security bandobast in Delhi follows what senior police officers described as two “serious lapses” that had taken place during the CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar against the NEET-UG paper leak this summer.
“We made two mistakes last time. First, we failed to assess the number of protesters (ahead of the CJP’s July 20 march to Parliament), and second, we deployed different (police) units and (jurisdictional) districts at the same place. This time, we have decided to assign one specific point to one unit or district,” a senior officer said.
For Saturday’s protest, the police have drawn up what they say is a “fail-safe plan” focused on stopping protesters within the jurisdictional police districts – thus stopping them from reaching Central Delhi – and assigning specific units to 37 designated “blocking points” in the New Delhi district.
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Four layers of restriction between Delhi and Jantar Mantar
Delhi Police has not granted permission for the Cockroach Janta Party and AISA protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, October 10. Step through what has been announced, from the railway station to the barricade.
Updated 9 October. The Supreme Court has asked the authorities not to bring the Metro and railways to a complete halt. Items tagged “Under review” may change.
1
Reach Delhi
Confirmedannounced
Plannedbeing prepared
Under reviewquestioned in court
1. Reach Delhi
Rail and road into the capital
Under review
Trains cancelled for 10 hours
All trains to and from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations are cancelled from 4 am to 2 pm on Saturday, citing severe road congestion. The Supreme Court has asked that rail services not be completely suspended. No revised railway notice had been reported at the time of writing.
Confirmed
Cancelled at source
Mail and Express trains starting after 2 pm on 9 October that were due at either station between 4 am and 2 pm on 10 October are cancelled. So are the Howrah and Sealdah Rajdhani Express trains leaving West Bengal on 9 October.
Planned
Checks at the borders
Police will maintain heightened vigilance at Delhi’s entry points. People suspected of trying to mobilise crowds could be stopped and detained there, officers say.
2. Move around
Getting across the city
Under review
Gates at 57 Metro stations
The DMRC said entry and exit gates would close from 9 pm on Friday until the situation normalises, with interchange still available except at New Delhi. The Supreme Court said there shall be no complete prohibition on Metro train movement. The Solicitor General said only train frequency would be reduced.
Planned
App cabs restricted
Police are coordinating with Ola and Uber to regulate movement towards Lutyens’ Delhi, and are preparing to restrict entry on roads into the New Delhi district.
Planned
Delivery apps tracked
Bulk food and grocery delivery apps, such as Zomato, Blinkit and Zepto, will also be tracked, The Indian Express has learned.
Planned
Hotels told not to take new guests
Hotels, guest houses and other accommodation in and around Central Delhi are asked to stay shut or restrict fresh bookings. Paharganj owners have been briefed.
Confirmed
Liquor stores closed
Shut across the city until Sunday, under an Excise department order citing public order.
3. Near the site
The New Delhi district
Confirmed
No permission
Delhi Police has not granted permission for the protest, citing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS.
Planned
Stopped in your own district
Districts are told to stop would-be protesters within their own jurisdiction. Those who refuse to turn back are sent straight to detention centres.
Planned
More than 37 blocking points
Spread across the New Delhi district, each pinned to one district or unit, so that no two units are posted at the same place.
Planned
Connaught Place to shut
All shops and restaurants around the Connaught Place market are to be shut.
Planned
Detention centres
Set up in all 15 districts, say officers, including stadiums such as Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Bawana and Chhatrasal Stadium. An earlier report put the number at around 10.
4. At the site
On the ground
Confirmed
Central forces
The Home Ministry has made 221 Central Armed Police Forces companies, around 23,000 personnel, available to Delhi Police from 8 to 12 October. Five are all-women companies.
Planned
Women police in front
A source says women police will march in front to stop senior protest leaders, with male personnel supporting from behind. Women personnel will carry small body-worn devices.
Confirmed
Mobile internet blocked
Mobile internet services are blocked from 10 pm on Friday to 10 pm on Saturday, within a 4 km radius of Janpath–Kartavya Path.
Planned
Press and livestreamers
Journalists are asked to carry and prominently display valid press cards at barricades. People recording or livestreaming could face action if they obstruct police operations or violate restrictions.
As reported by The Indian Express. Court and Metro updates, 9 October, as reported by Bar & Bench, National Herald and Business Today. “Planned” items are as described by police officers and may change.
Police have identified around 30 temporary detention facilities across the 15 districts, including police stations and police buildings, and sports complexes such as the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex, Chhatrasal Stadium, and Yamuna Sports Complex. The facilities are intended to accommodate people detained during the operation, so that police stations in the immediate protest area are able to continue their regular functioning, officers said.
The New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) has advised shops, offices and restaurants in Connaught Place to remain closed on Saturday.
Approximately 600 low-floor buses, into which detained protesters can be bundled more easily and quickly, have been commissioned. This follows the difficulty police faced in herding protesters into conventional buses during earlier protests.
For Saturday’s protest, Delhi Police have assigned 7,000-8,000 pairs of boots on the ground, which could be increased to 15,000 personnel if required, officers said.
They will be supported by 221 companies of Central Armed Police Forces comprising around 23,000 personnel, who have been brought in from Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh, to be made available to the Delhi Police from October 8 to 12. Among the paramilitary personnel are five companies of all-women forces.
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Which restrictions are in force, and when
Five of the curbs come with dates and times. Pick a moment, from Friday afternoon to Sunday, to see which are in force around Saturday’s protest at Jantar Mantar. Updated 9 October.
Liquor stores shut
citywide, till Sunday
In force
In force
In force
In force
Central forces available
221 companies, 8 to 12 Oct
In force
In force
In force
In force
In force
Mobile internet blocked
4 km radius, 10 pm Fri to 10 pm Sat
In force
In force
In force
Metro station gates closed
57 stations, from 9 pm Fri
Underreview
Underreview
Underreview
Underreview
Trains to the two stations cancelled
New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin, 4 am to 2 pm Sat
Underreview
2 of 5
Liquor stores are shut and central forces are available. The Metro gate closure was announced from 9 pm and the mobile internet block from 10 pm.
3 of 5
Mobile internet is now blocked within 4 km of Janpath–Kartavya Path. Liquor stores are shut and central forces are available. The Metro gate closure was due to begin, but the Supreme Court has questioned it.
3 of 5
Liquor stores are shut, central forces are available and mobile internet is blocked. The Metro gate closure and the 10-hour rail suspension are under review after the Supreme Court hearing.
3 of 5
The rail suspension was due to end at 2 pm. Liquor stores are still shut and mobile internet stays blocked until 10 pm. The Metro gate closure is under review and has no announced end time.
1 of 5
Liquor stores were shut till Sunday, and the mobile internet block ended at 10 pm on Saturday. Central forces are available until 12 October. The Metro gate closure has no announced end time and is under review.
In force
Under review after the Supreme Court hearing
Times are as announced. “Under review”: the Supreme Court questioned these curbs on 9 October, and no revised arrangement had been reported at the time of writing. Central forces are “available” to Delhi Police, not necessarily on the streets throughout. Court and Metro updates as reported by Bar & Bench, National Herald and Business Today.
Entry into Delhi was being heavily restricted from Friday evening onward. At the capital’s borders in Noida, Faridabad, and Gurugram, vehicles were being checked for the numbers of their occupants, whether they were visibly young, and whether they were carrying any protest signs, posters, or banners, senior officers said.
The Railways on Friday cancelled at least 245 trains arriving at and leaving stations in Delhi on Saturday, including 75 Mail and Express trains. The decision has been taken apprehending severe road traffic congestion in areas around the stations, the Railways said in an official statement.
“All Mail/ ExpressTrains starting at source after 2 pm today, i.e. October 9, 2026, which are reaching New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station on October 10, 2026 from 4 am to 2 pm be cancelled at source,” Northern Railway said.
Police personnel wearing body-worn cameras will record interactions at identified flashpoints and pickets, while reserve forces and women personnel will be deployed to manage crowds, said officers. (EXPRESS PHOTO BY PRAVEEN KHANNA)
Among the cancelled trains are several Shatabdis, Rajdhanis, and Humsafar and Tejas Expresses.
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The shutting of Metro stations across Delhi is likely to inconvenience tens of thousands of commuters. Saturday’s closure will be more sweeping in scale than the 16 stations that were shut in July, mostly in Central Delhi.
Mapping the restrictions around the Jantar Mantar protest
A schematic map of where the curbs fall. Switch between all of Delhi and the area around Jantar Mantar.
Yamuna
Border checks at entry points
Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Bawana
Narela
Chhatrasal Stadium
East Delhi
4 km
Jantar Mantar
New Delhi district: heavily secured zone
New Delhi station
Paharganj hotels briefed
Hazrat Nizamuddin station
Metro gates at 57 stations: closure under review
N
Parliament
Connaught Place
Kartavya Path
Janpath
Jantar Mantar
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
A
B
C
D
Centre of the 4 km radius
Mobile internet blocked across this whole view
Jantar Mantar
Secured zone
Mobile internet blocked, 4 km from Janpath–Kartavya Path
Station: trains cancelled 4 am to 2 pm Sat (under review)
Hotels told not to take new guests
Detention centre
Border check
Delhi Police plans to keep protesters out of the New Delhi district: stopping them within their own districts and at the borders, with detention centres in all 15 districts. Only the sites shown here have been named. The Supreme Court has asked the authorities not to halt the Metro or railways completely. Mobile internet services are blocked from 10 pm on Friday to 10 pm on Saturday within a 4 km radius of Janpath–Kartavya Path.
Jantar Mantar
Shops and restaurants to be shut
Mobile internet blocked
District assembly point
Specialised unit
Each district has been told to assemble at its own point, and each of the more than 37 blocking points is assigned to one district or unit, so that no two are posted at the same place. All shops and restaurants around the Connaught Place market are to be shut. Mobile internet is blocked from 10 pm on Friday to 10 pm on Saturday within 4 km of Janpath–Kartavya Path, which covers the whole area shown here.
Where the districts assemble
1
Central: Ranjit Singh Flyover near Barakhamba Road red light
2
North: Election Commission of India
3
East: Roundabout near Gymkhana post office, Safdarjung Road
4
North-East: Roundabout near Sunehri Bagh Masjid
5
Shahdara: In front of Parliament Street police station
6
Dwarka: Roundabout near Buta Singh
7
Outer: Roundabout near Windsor Place
8
West: Kartavya Path/Man Singh Road crossing near India Gate
9
North-West: Janpath/Tolstoy crossing near Janpath Metro station
10
Rohini: Jai Singh Road near the MHA building
11
Outer North: Roundabout near Gol Dak Khana
12
South: In front of the Registrar of Companies office, Sansad Marg
13
South-West: KG Marg/Firoz Shah Road crossing
14
South-East: Gate No. 1, Major Dhyan Chand Stadium
Specialised units
A
Transport Bhawan: Crime Branch; 2nd and 1st Battalions, Delhi Armed Police
B
Vijay Chowk: Vigilance; Delhi Police Academy
C
11 Murti: Licensing; FRRO; 6th, 7th and 5th Battalions, Delhi Armed Police
D
India Gate: Special Cell, at the Pink Booth, C-Hexagon
EOW and SPUWAC report at Parliament Street police station (point 5), and Welfare at Ranjit Singh Flyover (point 1).
Schematic map, not to scale. Positions are approximate. As reported by The Indian Express. Updated 9 October: court and Metro details as reported by Bar & Bench, National Herald and Business Today.
Delhi Police had initially written to the Delhi Metro asking that entry and exit gates of 57 stations – a fourth of the total stations on the network – be shut, and the frequency of trains passing through them be reduced.
However, the Metro later issued a shorter list of 45 stations that it said would be shut from 9 pm on Friday to 6 pm on Saturday.
A 24-hour mobile Internet shutdown was ordered in Central Delhi from 10 pm on Friday. Services would be blocked within a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing, Manishi Chandra, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) said in a notification.
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Police have also imposed restrictions on app-based taxis and hotels. Several hotels in Delhi have been asked to turn away certain categories of guests, including people carrying local identification documents, and students and “youngsters” arriving from outside Delhi, according to hotel staff.
The New Delhi Traders Association issued an advisory asking shops, offices and restaurants in Connaught Place to remain closed on Saturday as a precautionary measure. The Delhi government had earlier shut down liquor stores in the city on Friday and Saturday.
Several schools and colleges announced online classes, and the Patiala House and Rouse Avenue courts will function only in virtual mode on Saturday.
Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Left parties alleged that security personnel in various states have been detaining their members at their homes to prevent them from travelling to Delhi for Saturday’s protest.
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In Gujarat, several activists were detained on Saturday either at police stations or in their homes. Some of them alleged that police made them give undertakings that they would not go to Delhi. There were allegations about students being taken off trains at Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh as well.
Leaders of the CJP remained defiant and said the protest would go ahead as planned. “Modi Govt is so scared of a peaceful protest, they’re taking measures that were not taken even during the Emergency. Instead of acting against Gyanesh Kumar, they’d rather choke the National Capital,” the CJP said in a post on X.
In a communication sent to CJP leader Saurav Das, DCP (New Delhi District) Sachin Sharma said that the grant of permission to protest must take into account the rights of other citizens and residents of the locality as well.
“The earlier experience, and continuing experience shows that ordinary citizens are being compelled to suffer innumerable hardships arising due to protests, traffic snarls, general apprehensions regarding safety of person as well as properties etc,” the communication said.
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