Delhi Police puts over 2,800 on the radar ahead of CJP’s October 10 protest

Delhi Police have begun revisiting the Cockroach Janta Party’s previous large-scale mobilisation in the Capital, tracking people with alleged criminal antecedents, bus operators and other logistics providers as part of extensive preparations for the outfit’s proposed October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar.

Station House Officers across Delhi have been directed to keep watch on around 2,800 people identified through facial-recognition analysis of footage from the CJP-led July agitation and ascertain whether they are moving towards New Delhi district. Police have also been asked to monitor bus bookings, student hubs and routes into the Capital amid expectations of a large turnout.

The identification of people with criminal antecedents is a Delhi Police assessment based on facial-recognition matching against its databases. Presence at the earlier protest, or identification through such matching, does not by itself establish involvement in violence or any offence.

July protest mapped

Police have gone back to CCTV footage, videos and other material gathered during the CJP’s July agitation over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.

According to an internal assessment reported after that protest, police analysed around 100 facial-recognition-enabled CCTV recordings and social media videos and identified 2,873 people who were present at the demonstration or in its vicinity.

Of these, police claimed 989 had records involving serious criminal offences. The figure represented people whose identities were allegedly matched with existing police records and did not mean that all were accused of committing offences during the CJP protest.

Police data cited at the time claimed that 101 of those identified had previously been booked in murder cases. Of them, 42 were allegedly linked to two or more murder cases, while 12 had allegedly been booked in 10 or more murder cases.

These figures are police claims based on criminal-history databases. A previous criminal case or booking does not establish guilt, and the figures do not indicate that those identified committed violence at the July demonstration.

SHOs told to track movement

SHOs have now been asked to identify people falling within these categories in their respective jurisdictions and monitor whether they are preparing to travel towards the proposed protest.

“SHOs have been asked to identify and keep track of such people in their respective areas, particularly those who may have a history of serious offences. The idea is to know who is moving towards the protest site and from where,” an officer said.

The exercise is intended to give local police advance information about organised groups moving towards New Delhi district and allow officers to respond before large crowds assemble.

The October 10 demonstration has been called by the CJP as part of its campaign against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Election Commission has rejected allegations of wrongdoing in the revision process.

Bus bookings monitored

Police are also examining how the July mobilisation was organised, including the transport and other logistical arrangements used to bring demonstrators to central Delhi.

Local officers have been asked to identify bus operators who provided vehicles for the earlier protest and determine whether they have again been approached. Police are checking bookings to establish who is hiring buses, how many people are expected to travel and their intended destinations.

“If there is organised movement of people towards New Delhi, local police should be aware of it and take necessary action,” an officer said.

The focus extends beyond buses to other logistical support used to sustain large gatherings. Police are trying to identify whether suppliers associated with the earlier agitation have received fresh requests ahead of October 10.

Students under watch

Another part of the police strategy focuses on universities, colleges and student accommodation, reflecting expectations that young people could form a significant section of the CJP mobilisation.

Police officers have been directed to approach heads of universities and colleges in their jurisdictions and request them to ensure that students do not participate in the demonstration. Officers have similarly been asked to contact owners of paying guest accommodations in major student hubs and advise them to discourage residents from joining the protest.

The CJP has projected the October 10 gathering as a youth-led mobilisation and has called on supporters from across the country to reach Delhi.

CJP co-convener Saurav Das formally informed Delhi Police on Wednesday about the proposed protest at Jantar Mantar. Das said the organisation had submitted a letter and completed the required formalities, but police had not granted permission for the gathering as of Wednesday evening.

Borders under surveillance

Entry routes into Delhi are also under heightened surveillance. Police are focusing particularly on the eastern and Shahdara borders with Uttar Pradesh as well as routes entering the Capital from the southwest, including those used by travellers coming from Rajasthan.

Barricades are expected to be placed at important entry points, while district police have been asked to watch for groups travelling together towards central Delhi.

The measures are aimed at preventing a sudden concentration of protesters in New Delhi district. Police are particularly concerned about groups assembling at alternative locations if they are prevented from reaching Jantar Mantar.

No roadside sit-ins

Officers have also been instructed to prevent demonstrators from occupying roads or staging sit-ins wherever they are stopped.

Police said CJP leaders had used social media to ask supporters to sit down at locations where authorities prevented them from proceeding further. Officers have therefore been directed to ensure that such gatherings do not develop into prolonged blockades in New Delhi district.

“The leaders are putting on social media that if protesters are stopped anywhere, they should sit where they are stopped. We have to ensure that doesn’t happen,” another officer said.

Temporary detention facilities at stadiums across Delhi have also been discussed in case large numbers of demonstrators arrive, refuse to disperse and seek arrest.

4,000 personnel deployed

The security mobilisation has been building since October 1. Delhi Police have requisitioned at least 20 companies of Central Armed Police Forces, with personnel deployed in and around Jantar Mantar and other sensitive locations.

Nearly 4,000 security personnel have been deployed across New Delhi district, according to officials. Several stretches around the proposed protest area have also been restricted as police prepare for the possibility of a turnout running into thousands.

The preparations come after several days of demonstrations in central Delhi over the SIR and demands for Kumar’s resignation. Police and protesters have repeatedly confronted each other around Jantar Mantar and Parliament Street, resulting in detentions and criminal cases arising from alleged violence.

July mobilisation looms large

Police preparations are being shaped heavily by the CJP’s July agitation over alleged NEET-UG examination irregularities, when thousands of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar and attempted to march towards Parliament.

Police used tear gas and baton charges after demonstrators attempted to breach barricades. While police said force became necessary after sections of the crowd turned violent, videos from the protest also prompted criticism over police action.

The CJP’s latest mobilisation is centred on electoral-roll revisions rather than the examination issue. Das has said the organisation intends to continue its agitation over the functioning of the Election Commission and has called for a large nationwide mobilisation beginning October 10.

With permission for the proposed Jantar Mantar gathering still pending, police preparations are increasingly focused on preventing large groups from converging unexpectedly in central Delhi and avoiding a repeat of the scale and confrontation witnessed during the July protest.