Ayesha Khan was detained by Mumbai police for a couple of hours.
In several videos posted thereafter, Khan has alleged that she was taken by the cops even when she hadn't said a word about the protest.
She called out the sheer impunity in the way the government is responding to the protests.
Dhurandhar actor Ayesha Khan was detained by the Mumbai Police on Wednesday, July 22, while seeking to participate in a protest held in solidarity with the students asking for educational reforms. She dropped a slew of videos from the police van and later from Worli Police Station in Mumbai, insisting that she was detained despite not having said a word or raising any slogans.
“My hands are literally shivering right now. I’ve been detained in the police van just for standing on the road peacefully. I didn’t say a word. I didn’t even start the protest. I was just standing because my brother, my male friends were detained and we were just standing on the road. Me and two of my other female friends,” she said.
Khan shared a video to relay her side of the story, where she said that she was enthusiastic to express support towards the student protests that were supposed to take place in Dadar. But when she arrived there at 4 PM, and even before she could mutter a word or show any kind of slogan there was a police officer who said that she cannot protest there. She rebutted, ‘Bata dijiye dusra aur kya raasta hain (Please tell us what is the other option)?’ At this point, before any conversation, the police pulled her brother, friend and then around 15 policemen (10 men and 5 women) told her and her friends that they have to get in the van.
“I was pulled by 4-5 women. I used all my strength to try not getting into the van but they pulled us in. Poorey van mein hum poochte rahein ki aap ne humein kyu detain kiya hain? Humne galti kya kiya hain? No answer, no accountability, nothing. Kisi ne koi jawab nahi diya aur humein Dadar se door Worli lekar aaye (We asked for answers inside the van that what was our mistake and why we were detained but there was no response or accountability. From Dadar we were taken to Worli).”
In another post, Khan shared the video of her being pushed inside the police van. In the caption, she wrote, "Dragged, detained for standing in peace. Asked questions to all the police people present there on why were we being detained? But no answer whatsoever! Sadak pe khade rehna kabse crime ho Gaya? Today will be the most peaceful sleep of my life. I stood for what was right! Still in the police station asking the same question! Why am I detained? Which law did I break? Forget about one’s democratic right, and protecting it, instead you are harming your own citizens, for what? I see shame in some of their eyes, but they are bound by their duties, they know, we know, what’s right and what’s wrong. My stand is clear. We lack accountability, EVERYWHERE. I still have hope, we will see a better future."
Around three hours after Ayesha posted about being detained, she updated her social media to inform her followers that she had been released. She shared, “I have been released, going to get my brother released now from Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Police Station. We were all taken to different parts of the city, intentionally. Let me repeat, for doing nothing.”
