Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): At least 23 people, including 21 student and youth activists and two daily-wage workers, were allegedly detained in Itarsi, Bhopal and Gwalior while travelling to Delhi for Saturday's protest at Jantar Mantar.
The protest, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), seeks Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
16 deboarded from Goa Express
Police allegedly deboarded 16 people from the Goa Express at Itarsi Junction around 5.30 pm on Thursday. They included 14 New Students and Youth Federation and All India Students' Federation (AISF) members and two workers returning home.
Activists alleged they were confined to a resort under heavy police deployment.
Pune-based activist Kapil Chauhan alleged detention exceeded 18 hours without explanation, with over 200 policemen deployed.
Navale and Niharika Bhosale began a hunger strike. Bhosale alleged pressure to board a bus and leave.
Painters Vikas Kumar and Parvind Kumar, returning from Pahalgam to Hapur and Bulandshahr, respectively, alleged detention despite explaining their journeys.
Seven detained in Bhopal, Gwalior
Hyderabad-based activist Ruchit alleged that four Telangana activists, Stanley Korani, Rajesh Korapaka, Rangasai Reddy and Venkatesh Goud, were detained in Bhopal.
Three Andhra Pradesh activists, Baba Fakhruddin, B Venkatesh and Renjit Rajeev, were allegedly detained in Gwalior.
Ruchit said fellow activists initially reported the detentions through messages but subsequently became unreachable by phone.
p-1 (with 2 Rishita)
Five Delhi-bound trains cancelled amid CJP protest
Two trains from Bhopal, three from Jabalpur affected; cancellations announced at Rani Kamlapati station
West Central Railway (WCR) has cancelled five Delhi-bound superfast trains from Madhya Pradesh amid protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Oct 10.
Two trains from Bhopal and three from Jabalpur have been cancelled.
The cancelled Jabalpur services include Jabalpur-Hazrat Nizamuddin Gondwana Superfast Express, Sampark Kranti Express and Mahakoshal Express.
From Bhopal, Shan-e-Bhopal Express, scheduled to depart from Rani Kamlapati station for Hazrat Nizamuddin on Friday, was cancelled. Rajdhani Express, operating from Mumbai to Delhi via Bhopal, will also not depart from its originating station.
According to railway directives, mail and express trains departing their originating stations after 2 pm on Oct 9 and scheduled to reach Delhi between 4 am and 2 pm on Oct 10 have been cancelled.
Announcements regarding cancellations were made at Rani Kamlapati railway station.
HC directs state to produce persons taken into custody at Itarsi railway station
The High Court on Friday directed the state government to produce the persons allegedly taken into police custody at Itarsi railway station before the court. The direction came during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition filed by protesters’ family.
A division bench of Chief Justice Alpesh Y Kogje and Justice Vivek Jain issued notice and fixed October 13 as the next date of hearing. The court directed the state to produce the person concerned before it.
It also allowed the state to produce the person before the scheduled date after giving prior notice to the other side. The court further said the state could make arrangements for the safe return of the person concerned to their family.
