Home Visits, WhatsApp Location: How Mumbai Cops Are Trying To Curb Protests

Law enforcement authorities across Mumbai have adopted targeted direct-contact methods, including digital tracking and doorstep visits, to prevent repeat participation in ongoing student demonstrations linked to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) agitations. The interventions represent a shift toward localised deterrence following days of protests across key city locations, including Shivaji Park, Chembur, and Azad Maidan.Protesters named in existing First Information Reports (FIRs) or previously served legal notices reported receiving direct phone calls and messaging requests from local police stations. Social media posts and verified screenshots show instances where senior station personnel instructed individuals to remain at home and continuously share their WhatsApp live location to confirm compliance. LIVE UPDATES HEREAdditionally, legal notices under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were issued digitally via messaging applications in the early morning hours, directing recipients to appear for questioning regarding earlier gatherings.Photo Credit: IANSAlongside digital outreach, uniformed personnel were dispatched directly to the residences of student demonstrators across suburban Mumbai and surrounding municipal areas. Officers visited homes to notify families of pending investigations and advise against further attendance at public rallies, while police teams stationed near major metro and railway access points worked to identify and redirect individuals travelling toward primary assembly sites. Information and records of previously detained individuals were also distributed across police stations to enable rapid identification during street checks.Senior department officials described the measures as preventive steps intended to deter young citizens from incurring formal criminal records that could negatively impact passport processing, higher education admissions, and future employment opportunities. Conversely, defence lawyers and legal advocacy groups assisting demonstrators contended that electronic location tracking, messaging group checks, and home visits exceed standard preventive protocol and raise serious legal questions regarding individual privacy and constitutional freedom of movement.Photo Credit: PTI Mumbai has been witnessing protests in solidarity with the CJP-led students' agitation in Delhi.The city saw demonstrations by political parties, activists, and students for a third consecutive day on Wednesday over exam irregularities and police crackdown on CJP protesters in Delhi.Meanwhile, in Delhi the CJP supporters continued their sit-in at Jantar Mantar on Thursday, demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET-UG 2026, reforms in the education system, and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.