Mumbai police detain 400 NEET protesters; Aditya Thackeray visits police station

Detentions at Shivaji Park and Chembur follow prohibitory order violations; legal cases filed

Updated - July 22, 2026 11:13 pm IST

Mumbai — Police detained more than 400 protesters at two locations in Mumbai on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) during demonstrations demanding action over the alleged NEET paper leak. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray visited a police station in Dadar later in the day, following which several of those held were released.

Protests Across Mumbai

Demonstrations were held at multiple locations across Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra. Several Congress leaders were also detained and later released. Meanwhile, a students' delegation met MNS chief Raj Thackeray at his residence as the protest continued at Shivaji Park.

Prohibitory orders were enforced at:

• Shivaji Park, Dadar
• Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Udyan Chowk, Chembur

Police sources said demonstrations at these locations were organised without prior permission.

Details of Detentions

Shivaji Park, Dadar:

• DCP Mahendra Pandit said approximately 200 protesters were detained from an initial gathering.
• A larger crowd of nearly 1,500 people later assembled at the same location and was dispersed without further detentions.
• Members of the Chhatra Jawan Party and other organisations participated.

Chembur:

• Zone VI DCP Sameer Shaikh said 700–800 protesters had gathered at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Udyan Chowk.
• Police separated approximately 200 individuals from the crowd and took them into custody.
• The assembly had violated prohibitory orders restricting unlawful assembly in the area.

Police confirmed that legal proceedings had been initiated against those detained for violating prohibitory orders and under other applicable legal provisions. Cases have been registered at the respective police stations.

Political Leaders Intervene

Following the detentions, Aditya Thackeray and Amit Thackeray visited the protest site at Shivaji Park before proceeding to the local police station. Sources confirmed that the detained protesters were released after their intervention, although police did not confirm how many were released.

Actor and Comedians Among Those Detained

Actor Ayesha Khan, known for her appearance in the song 'Shararat' from the film Dhurandhar, was among those detained at Shivaji Park. She was later released.

Ms. Khan shared videos on Instagram from a police van and later from the Worli Police Station, alleging that she was detained despite not raising slogans or carrying placards. She stated that she arrived at the protest venue around 4 p.m. to express solidarity and was standing by the roadside with two female friends after her brother and other male companions had been taken into a police van. According to her, the group had not begun protesting when they were detained.

Stand-up comedians Abish Matthew and Raunaq Rajani were also detained, NCP(SP) spokesperson Anish Gawande said, adding that they were later released.

Security Remains Tight

Security remained tight at both locations throughout the day. A senior police officer said deployment had been strengthened across Mumbai following the protest in Delhi. "Since another protest is underway, we have deployed adequate force," the officer said.