Bombay High Court seeks Maharashtra response on detention pleas

The Bombay High Court on October 19 directed the Maharashtra government to respond to petitions alleging that police unlawfully detained people during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Mumbai. The court has not ruled on the allegations, and the state’s response is pending. A bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna was hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Sagar Kantilal Devre, alongside applications from people who say they were detained. The court directed the state to file an affidavit through a senior officer and scheduled a further hearing for November 19, 2026. The lead petition alleges that about 600 people were detained on October 10 and another 300 on October 11. It says those affected included people who were not protesting, passersby, women, a mother with a child and an older person. These figures and accounts are allegations in the petition, not findings by the court. Advocate Gayatri Singh told the court that four people who had joined a peaceful march were detained for a day, sent home and then placed under house arrest. Senior advocate Mihir Desai also submitted affidavits from two...