'Apparently I'm going for a drive': Imran Khan's selfie after police detain him in Mumbai

Actor Imran Khan was detained by Mumbai Police on Saturday, October 10, amid a crackdown on protesters who gathered at August Kranti Maidan in support of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) call for a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The actor later shared a selfie from inside a police van on Instagram, with a caption that read, “Apparently I’m going for a drive”.

According to news agency ANI, Imran was detained at August Kranti Maidan, the proposed venue for the protest. Mumbai Police said permission had not been sought for the gathering and that the Bombay High Court's directions restrict protests to Azad Maidan.

CJP workers, however, claimed they had emailed the police seeking permission but received no response.

Imran's earlier support for student protests

This is not the first time Imran has participated in a protest. The actor had joined a protest march in July, where he was asked whether he had a message for actors who believe art should remain apolitical.

“True art is going to have an individual artist point of you embedded within it, and as part of our human nature, we are going to have opinion and perspective that we hold through to ourselves . If you can’t stand by your opinions and if you do not pour your own heart into your art, your art has no value.”

He had also taken to social media to express his dismay over the alleged use of force against student protesters. Criticising the police action, Imran wrote, “Something broke in me today. Watching as police gassed and battered student protestors… how could I make sense of this? These students who worked hard, only to be failed by the system. These people who asked to be heard, only to be met with silence. These citizens who stood up to show what matters to them… beaten down and disowned by the establishment."

He further questioned the treatment of students and those demanding accountability, adding, “Are these not the children of Mother India? If not them, for whom do we build, and whose future do we claim to protect? Those who demand ‘organisation’ from students protesting education reform, but don’t apply such lofty standards of accountability to established authority; bootlickers, one and all."

Why is CJP protesting?

The CJP has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The group has continued to raise the issue through demonstrations and public statements, including a protest in Mumbai on October 2.

The controversy surrounding the exercise intensified after an investigative report by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and procedures linked to the SIR.

Imran Khan's acting career

Imran made his acting debut in the 2008 romantic comedy ‘Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na’, alongside Genelia D'Souza. He went on to star in films such as ‘I Hate Luv Storys’, ‘Break Ke Baad’, ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’ and ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’. His performance in the 2011 black comedy ‘Delhi Belly’ also remains among his best-known roles.