Fourteen students associated with the All India Students Federation (AISF) were detained by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Itarsi Junction in Madhya Pradesh. The students were traveling from Pune to New Delhi to participate in a protest organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which was scheduled for October 10 at Jantar Mantar. The demonstration aims to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls.
A senior GRP officer confirmed that the detentions occurred on Thursday evening, stating that the students were held under Section 172 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The officer noted that the students were removed from the Goa Express because they lacked formal permission to attend the protest. When questioned regarding the necessity of official authorization for participation in protests, the official asserted, “Of course, they do. There has to be a system to stop all this. And we acted as per the orders we received.”
While GRP Itarsi station in-charge Sanjay Chouksey claimed that the students were released on Friday, he noted that they had refused to leave the private hotel where they were being held. Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has taken cognizance of the incident following a habeas corpus petition filed by the families of two detained students. The court has issued notices to state and police authorities, directing them to produce the students on or before October 13 and to ensure their safe return to their families.
Video footage circulating on social media showed police personnel removing students from the train. The CJP and AISF have criticized the detentions as illegal and a suppression of the right to protest. As authorities face legal scrutiny, the situation remains a point of contention between student groups and the state administration.
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