Delhi police file FIRs against Rahul Gandhi and opposition leaders after Supreme Court protest march

What happened

Delhi Police on October 14 registered multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) naming Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders. The cases stem from the October 13 "March for Democracy," in which a large crowd marched from the Constitution Club to the Supreme Court to protest alleged large-scale deletion of voters' names and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Police allege violations including attempts to breach police barricades and graffiti on central Delhi roads.

Jantar Mantar arrests

On the same day, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde were put under preventive arrest at Jantar Mantar for alleged trespassing and violation of prohibitory orders. Jantar Mantar was denotified as a protest site by Delhi Police on October 13, with Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground named as the new designated venues.

What's next

The Supreme Court has confirmed a special hearing on October 15 concerning petitions related to alleged illegal detentions and metro service shutdowns during the protests, originally scheduled for October 13. Separately, Delhi Police registered four FIRs and removed more than 200 social media posts related to the spread of fake news during the protests, saying several Pakistani social media handles are under investigation.