The protests were organised around demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and allegations concerning electoral-roll revisions. Reports also described a wider police operation involving people intercepted at homes, hotels, railway stations and other locations.
Dhruv Rathee — YouTuber
Detained at his Gurugram residence on October 10 before he could join the protest. He said people in plain clothes took him away without a warrant and that he was denied access to a lawyer. Police sources said he was released at approximately 3 a.m. on October 11. He subsequently published a video recounting the incident and alleged that he remained under unofficial surveillance.
Current Status: Released
Nadeem Khan — Civil-rights activist
Khan alleged that police restricted his movements at his home and office on September 29 and warned him of possible house arrest on October 9–10. On October 12, the Delhi High Court sought a police response and a status report within two weeks. The police said they had received intelligence that he intended to protest after permission was denied. The court also recorded the police’s assurance that officers would stop calling him.
Current Status: Court proceedings ongoing
Abhijeet Dipke – CJP Founder
Detained at Delhi airport on October 10 along with CJP convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. The three were released following proceedings before an executive magistrate on October 11.
Current Status: Released
Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka — CJP convenors
Both were detained with Dipke at the airport. Their release was reported on October 11. They had been planning to participate in the demonstration demanding the Election Commission chief’s resignation.
Current Status: Released
Journalists and reporters detained on October 10–11
| Reporter or journalist | Organization | Latest reported position |
| Ayush Tiwari | Scroll | Released; confirmed by his own update. |
| Shoaib Daniyal | Scroll | Detained while waiting for a taxi in South Delhi; individual release confirmation not established in the sources |
| Ashwine Kumar Singh | Newslaundry | Released; outlet said he returned to reporting. |
| Astha Savyasachi | Newslaundry | Released. |
| Anmol Pritam | Newslaundry | Released; phone reportedly seized. |
| Anshu | Newslaundry | Released; phone reportedly seized. |
| Hritik Joshi | Navbharat Times | Released. |
| Rahul Charas | Navbharat Times | Released |
| Jagriti Trisha | BoomLive | Released after approximately three hours, according to reports. |
| Shivang Shukla | India Today | Detained while reporting; individual release details were not independently confirmed in the sources reviewed. |
| Shashwat, Siya and Vijay Kumar | The Indian Express Hindi | Released approximately 45 minutes after detention on October 11. |
| Shyam Meera Singh | Independent journalist | Reported detained at Connaught Place on October 11; definitive release status not verified. |
| Ashish Singh | Hindustan | Detained at RK Ashram Marg on October 11. Individual release status not established in the sources reviewed. |
| Paranjoy Guha Thakurta | Independent journalist | Named among the journalists detained; definitive individual release update not verified. |
| Nitin Katiyar | Nayab World | Reported detained and alleged that he was punched near the eyes; definitive release status not verified. |
| M. Rajshekhar | Independent journalist | Reported detained on October 11; reports also raised allegations of mistreatment at a holding location. Definitive release status not verified. |
| Ryan Thomas | The Caravan | Reportedly detained and assaulted on October 11, according to the magazine; individual release status not confirmed in the sources reviewed. |
| Anushka Bhardwaj | Business Standard | Reportedly released after initially showing her press ID, then detained again. A definitive final status was not verified. |
| Saurabh Sharma | Reuters | Reported detained near INA Market on October 10; definitive individual release status not verified. |
| Neeraj Jha | Molitics India | release status not verified. |
| Sarthak | The Quint | Reported detained on October 10; definitive individual release status not verified. |
| Pragya Mishra | Bharat Samachar | Named among the journalists detained; definitive individual release status not verified. |
| Kinjal | AltNews | Detained in Ahmedabad and reportedly released after more than three hours. |
| Divya Aslesha | Scroll | Detained in Pune; police reportedly later described it as a mistake. |
| Vedanta Agarwal and Sara Khan | Peek TV | Reportedly dragged and detained while covering arrests in Connaught Place; definitive individual release status not verified. |
What did the courts say?
On October 11, the Supreme Court addressed the police action and emphasised that peaceful, unarmed assembly should not result in illegal detention, and that journalists and other professionals should not be obstructed from performing their duties. The following day, the Delhi High Court sought a response from police over Nadeem Khan’s allegations of confinement at home.
What about the total number detained?
Figures varied by report and by the locations counted. Hindustan Times reported close to 7,000 people detained across Delhi, while NDTV’s protest coverage cited approximately 3,000. These figures should not be combined or treated as a confirmed number of people who remained in custody.