Cinema VinesActress Ayesha Khan, who has recently attracted attention with her new single “Shararat” from the film *Dhurandhar*, was taken into custody by Mumbai police on Wednesday during a peaceful gathering in support of student protests. The incident unfolded at a protest site in Dadar where Khan and a group of friends, both male and female, had assembled to show solidarity with demonstrators. According to a video posted by Khan on Instagram, police officers arrived before the protest could even begin, telling her that she was not allowed to protest at that location.
When Khan asked for clarification, the officers immediately seized her brother and a friend before pulling her and about fifteen police personnel—ten men and five women—into a police van. She described being dragged by four or five female officers and resisting, but ultimately being forced into the vehicle. Inside the van, Khan and her companions repeatedly asked why they were being detained, but received no answers or accountability from the officers. The group was later transported from Dadar to Worli police station.
At Worli, Khan reported that the police spoke to her respectfully, yet she was left with the same unanswered question: why was she detained? She expressed frustration that standing peacefully on the street had become a crime, and questioned which law she had allegedly broken. In her caption, she urged that democratic rights should not be compromised and called for greater accountability within law enforcement.
The incident comes amid the third day of student protests in Mumbai and across several other Indian cities, following a wave of demonstrations that began in Delhi. Khan’s experience highlights the tensions between protestors and authorities as the movement continues to grow.
