Pune: Fourteen youth activists and students from Pune detained by Madhya Pradesh police at Itarsi while travelling to Delhi for a protest against the Election Commission of India were released on Friday evening after the MP high court directed the state to produce them before it on Oct 13.The activists, affiliated with various student and youth organisations, were travelling to Delhi to participate in a protest demanding resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and electoral reforms.Their release came after relatives of detainees, Shravani Bua and Preeti Londhe, filed a habeas corpus petition before the high court on Friday.A bench of Chief Justice A P Kogje and Justice Vivek Jain directed the state to produce the students before the court on Oct 13 and said they could be produced earlier after informing the petitioners and ensuring their safe return to their families.Following their release, NSYF member Akash Nawale said the group would return to Pune instead of proceeding to Delhi. “We are trying to make arrangements to return to Pune because the govt has stopped all ways to travel to Delhi. We will return to Pune and protest there,” he said, adding that he and fellow activist Niharika Bhosale had ended their hunger strike.The detention had triggered allegations of excessive force and illegal confinement by the activists. They claimed they were removed from the Goa Express at Itarsi on Thursday and kept in a private resort’s banquet hall rather than a police facility.Shravani Bua, a student and member of All India Students’ Federation (AISF), , alleged that the group was “brutally dragged out” of the train and denied medical treatment despite injuries. Bhosale claimed plainclothes police personnel followed the activists during the journey and photographed them without consent. She also alleged that some detainees were dragged from a bus and had their hands twisted while being taken into custody.According to the students, they were first stopped by a Maharashtra police team at Bhusawal station before being detained by Madhya Pradesh police on reaching Itarsi.The incident comes amid claims by several student and youth leaders in Maharashtra that police contacted them regarding plans to attend the Delhi protest.Pune-based activist Mayur Malkhede alleged that Ballarpur police served him a notice under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, seeking details about his proposed participation and advising him against travelling to Delhi.Reacting to the detention, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had earlier on Friday posted on social media: “Why not just declare an emergency?”Social activist Vijay Kumbhar had also questioned the legality of such notices. “What exactly is wrong with govt — is it threatening people, or is it afraid?” he said.Narmadapuram superintendent of police Saikrishna Thota declined to comment on the allegations, while messages sent to him remained unanswered at the time of going to press.
