Six Arrested as Delhi Police Move to Thwart CJI Protest at Jantar Mantar

It was just after sunrise at Jantar Mantar when a modest crowd gathered, banners fluttering, voices rising in unison for a cause that has been simmering for months – a call for a transparent, merit‑based process for appointing the Chief Justice of India.

The demonstration, organized by a loose coalition of lawyers, student groups and civil‑society activists, was largely peaceful. Speakers took turns, some quoting constitutional provisions, others sharing personal anecdotes about how opaque appointments erode public confidence. In the background, the iconic arches of the monument stood silent, as if listening.

But the calm was short‑lived. Within an hour, police units moved in, detaining six people they said were “attempting to create disorder” and “disrupt the peaceful protest.” The detainees – a mix of a journalist, a poet, two student activists and two local residents – were escorted to Tihar, where they were booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to unlawful assembly.

Eyewitnesses and some of the arrested themselves dispute the police narrative. “We were there to voice a concern, not to cause trouble,” one of the student activists told reporters, eyes still a little red from the morning chill. A senior lawyer on the scene urged the authorities to respect the right to protest, emphasizing that dissent is a cornerstone of any democracy, especially when it concerns the judiciary.

The incident has reignited a familiar tug‑of‑war: security forces citing the need to maintain public order, while activists warn that heavy‑handed tactics risk silencing legitimate debate. Legal experts note that while the police have the power to prevent imminent violence, the threshold for arrest must be clear and proportionate. As the day unfolded, the protest continued, albeit with a palpable tension, as participants wondered how many more would be taken into custody and what that meant for future demonstrations.