Ayesha Khan, known for her recent appearance in the special song “Shararat” from the movie Dhurandhar, has shared a troubling experience with police in Mumbai. She claims she was detained by the Mumbai Police while trying to support a student protest in Dadar on Wednesday. She took to Instagram to share videos recounting the incident, where she said that she and her friends were taken into custody even before the protest began.
Ayesha arrived in Dadar around 4 PM to show solidarity with the student protests that have been taking place across Mumbai. She mentioned that just as she was about to start chanting slogans, a police officer approached and told her that protests were not allowed there. Ayesha expressed her confusion, asking for alternative routes to express their opinions, but things escalated quickly.
In an Instagram video, she explained that approximately 15 police officers, both men and women, surrounded her group and ordered them to enter a police van. When they resisted, Ayesha claimed they were forcibly taken inside the vehicle.
Recalling the incident, Ayesha said, “I was pulled by several women officers, and despite my efforts to resist, they dragged us in. Throughout the journey, we kept asking why we were being detained, but there was no response. We were taken away from Dadar to Worli.”
While she noted that the officers at the Worli police station treated them with respect, she still received no explanation for their detention. Ayesha’s main question remains: why were they taken into custody before the protest even started?
In another post, Ayesha shared a clip showing her being pushed into the police van. She wrote, “Dragged, detained for standing in peace. I questioned the police about the reason for our detention, but received no answers! When did standing on the street become a crime? Today will be the most peaceful sleep of my life, as I stood for what is right. I still ask why I am detained. Which law did I break? Forget about protecting democratic rights; it feels like citizens are being harmed for standing up. I see shame in some officers’ eyes, but they are bound by their duties. My stance is clear: we lack accountability everywhere. Yet, I remain hopeful for a better future.”
The student protests in Mumbai are part of a larger movement that started in New Delhi and has expanded to several cities nationwide. Protesters are demanding accountability from authorities and calling for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Demonstrations have occurred in multiple locations in Mumbai, including Shivaji Park and Chaityabhoomi, with some participants claiming they faced detention even before reaching the protest sites.
