Actor Imran Khan and his girlfriend, actor Lekha Washington, were detained by Mumbai Police on October 10 at August Kranti Maidan, the proposed demonstration venue in support of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). The detention was part of a wider crackdown ahead of a planned demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where nearly 4,000 people were reportedly detained.

Imran Khan posted a picture on social media with the caption “Apparently I’m going for a drive,” while Lekha shared a video from inside a police vehicle, telling followers they had been detained, that she would share their location pin, and that she had no idea where they were being taken.

Why the detention happened

Mumbai Police said permission had not been sought for the proposed protest at August Kranti Maidan, and that they could not grant permission there because Bombay High Court directions allow protests only at Azad Maidan. CJP workers, however, claimed they had emailed the Mumbai Police seeking permission and received no response.

The CJP called for protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, following an Indian Express investigation. The report said 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 SIR. On September 24, the CJP demanded Kumar’s resignation within 48 hours, warning of a nationwide protest.

Film industry reacts

The crackdown drew criticism from several film industry figures. Actor Prakash Raj shared a cartoon by Satish Acharya on X, questioning how long citizens’ dissent could be evaded, and separately questioned why young protesters were being detained before reaching demonstration sites. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap posted on Instagram in support of the protesters and urged people to follow All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora’s live updates — Bora had joined hundreds of people at Dilli Haat before being detained.

Singer Vishal Dadlani criticised the scale of the security deployment and reported disruptions to public transport in a video. Filmmaker Apurva Asrani reacted to the detentions of CJP leaders, calling the situation dictatorial. Director Shirish Kunder questioned the use of force against protesters, while Vikramaditya Motwane shared critical posts on Instagram Stories. Actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub expressed solidarity by sharing a Hindi translation of a poem by Bertolt Brecht, and comedian Vir Das shared an explainer of the Streisand Effect — suggesting the crackdown could draw even more attention to the protests.

Heavy security in Delhi

The planned Jantar Mantar demonstration was met with extensive security: Delhi Police sealed off the site, barricaded nearby roads and used loudspeakers to warn against unauthorised gatherings. Reports said more than 40,000 Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel were deployed across the capital, and authorities invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which allows restrictions to prevent public-order problems. Several CJP leaders, activists and journalists were among those detained as police tried to prevent gatherings at the venue.