Police presence has increased across Jamia Nagar in southeast Delhi, with new checkpoints, vehicle searches, and late-night patrolling being reported amid heightened security in the capital over the ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar.
The increased deployment follows the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march, organized as part of the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. The march witnessed clashes between protesters and the police after demonstrators attempted to move towards Parliament.
Jamia Nagar, which includes Jamia Millia Islamia, Okhla, and Shaheen Bagh, has seen additional police deployment over the past few days. Barricades have been placed at different points, and commuters are being stopped and questioned at some locations.
A checkpoint has been set up outside Gate No. 1 of Jamia Millia Islamia, where vehicles are being checked. Police personnel have also been deployed around the Jamia Millia Islamia Metro station, where commuters have been questioned.
Notices warning against unlawful assembly and violation of prohibitory orders were also put up in the area on July 24.
The developments come at a time when prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which replaced the earlier Section 144 framework under the Code of Criminal Procedure, have been used as part of security arrangements surrounding the protests.
However, the application and geographical extent of any Section 163 order covering Jamia Nagar require separate confirmation from the police.
Students allege detention.
Several students have alleged that people suspected of traveling towards the Jantar Mantar protest have been stopped and detained.
Kumail, a student from Jamia Nagar, said he was travelling with others on July 22 when police stopped their autorickshaw near a checkpoint and questioned them about their destination.
According to Kumail, he and around 18 others were subsequently detained and taken to a police station in Badarpur.
He said they were kept there for nearly four hours while police recorded their details.
Kumail said police personnel told them that the action was being taken for their safety and that people had gathered at Jantar Mantar in violation of restrictions.
His account of the detention could not be independently verified with the police.
Late-night action in Jamia Nagar
Another round of detentions was reported during police patrolling late on July 23.
According to residents and people involved in the matter, around 30 people were picked up from areas including Okhla Vihar, Shaheen Bagh, and Okhla Head and taken to the Shaheen Bagh police station.
Those detained reportedly included students, a professor, and people returning home from work.
Mohd Nawaz Shareef (Adv.), who reached the police station following the detentions, said he was initially not allowed to enter the premises. He said he was later permitted to enter after showing his identity card.
According to S. Hareef, when he asked about the reason for the detentions, the Station House Officer told him that police were verifying individuals in connection with suspected international links related to the CJP protest.
Shareef said those detained were asked to fill out forms and provide details of their social media accounts before being released after verification.
“Some of them were students, while some were simply returning from work. Their details and social media accounts were taken before they were allowed to leave,” Shareef said.
He further said the students and other detainees were subsequently released under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act.
The claim regarding suspected international links, as well as the circumstances and legal basis of the detentions, could not be independently verified with the police.
Commuters stopped near the metro station.
Similar checking was reported near Gate No. 2 of the Jamia Millia Islamia Metro station on July 24.
According to an account from the spot, police personnel were stopping some young men near the Metro station, asking for their details and recording their names on forms meant for persons being detained.
The account said several such entries had already been made when the checking was noticed. When questions were raised about the exercise, police personnel at the spot reportedly referred to restrictions under Section 163 of the BNSS and asked those questioning them to move away.
The incident occurred even as the immediate area around the Metro station remained peaceful. It was not immediately clear on what basis individuals were being selected for questioning or why their details were being entered on detention-related forms.
The police have not yet provided a detailed explanation for the exercise.
The developments in Jamia Nagar are taking place amid wider security measures across Delhi in connection with the Jantar Mantar demonstrations.
For residents of Jamia Nagar, however, the appearance of new checkpoints and reports of people being taken for verification have raised questions over whether the measures are part of general security arrangements or specifically linked to people suspected of traveling to the Jantar Mantar demonstrations.
So far, no political party or prominent political leader has publicly extended support or issued a detailed statement specifically addressing the reported detentions and increased checking in Jamia Nagar, according to those following the incidents.
People involved in the matter said they also contacted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) helpline and informed it about the situation, including the reported detentions. However, they said they had not received any substantive response or intervention at the time of reporting.
No detailed statement from the CJP concerning the reported Jamia Nagar detentions was available at the time of writing.
A detailed response from Delhi Police on the purpose of the checkpoints, the number and grounds of the reported detentions, the collection of personal and social media details, and the allegation concerning personnel without visible name badges was awaited.
