Actor Imran Khan detained in Mumbai during protest against poll chief

Mumbai Police detained actor Imran Khan and more than 400 demonstrators on Saturday at August Kranti Maidan during a crackdown on unauthorised protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Khan, who posted a photograph from inside a police van with the caption "Apparently I'm going for a drive", was among hundreds taken into custody across Mumbai. Police said organisers had not obtained permission for the gathering, noting that Bombay High Court rulings restrict public demonstrations in the city to Azad Maidan. Organisers with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said they had emailed police requesting approval but received no reply.

Mass detentions in Mumbai and Delhi

Police action in Mumbai extended well beyond August Kranti Maidan. Earlier in the day, officers detained around 200 people, including activist Tushar Gandhi, head of Hum Bharat Ke Log, and members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Gandhi was picked up from Bandra and taken to DN Nagar police station, drawing crowds outside that included Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray.

Further detentions occurred near Hutatma Chowk, where workers from the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi gathered, while activist Feeroz Mithiborwala was taken into custody from his home. Mumbai Police said they were in the process of registering formal cases against those held.

The crackdowns were matched in New Delhi, where police detained nearly 1,500 people attempting to assemble near Jantar Mantar. Those held in the capital included former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, and AISA activist Neha Bora. CJP leaders alleged that the party's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, was detained on board an aircraft in Delhi before being taken to an undisclosed location.

Controversy over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

The nationwide demonstrations follow escalating friction over the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protesters allege that changes to voter registration procedures and Form 6 administration have led to voter list manipulation, risking the disenfranchisement of voters from minority and marginalised communities.

The Election Commission has denied any wrongdoing, stating that the exercise aims strictly to clear duplicate entries and ineligible names from the rolls. However, internal friction within the commission surfaced after reports showed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months concerning procedures linked to the revision exercise.

Khan had previously spoken out against police action during student demonstrations in July, questioning the handling of peaceful protests. His detention on Saturday came as security forces reinforced checkpoints and deployed extra officers across key public grounds in both Mumbai and New Delhi.