Mumbai Police visit homes, track locations to stop student protests
What's the story
The Mumbai Police have resorted to targeted direct-contact methods, including digital tracking and home visits, to stop repeat participation in ongoing student protests. Protesters claim they have been receiving calls asking them to stay home and share their live locations. One protester shared screenshots of a WhatsApp conversation with Versova police station's senior inspector Deepshika Vare, who asked her to stay home and "send her live location and keep it on."
Protest prevention
Police call, message protesters
The police's approach marks a shift toward localized deterrence after days of demonstrations across major city locations such as Shivaji Park, Chembur, and Azad Maidan.
The messages were mostly received by protesters named in existing First Information Reports (FIRs) or who were previously served legal notices.
Legal notices under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were also sent digitally via messaging applications, asking recipients to appear for questioning regarding earlier gatherings.
Home visits
Officers visited homes to notify families
In addition to digital outreach, uniformed personnel were dispatched to the homes of student demonstrators across suburban Mumbai and surrounding municipal areas.
Officers also visited homes to notify families of pending investigations and advise against further attendance at public rallies.
Furthermore, police teams stationed near major metro and railway access points worked to identify and redirect individuals traveling toward primary assembly sites.
Legal concerns
Protecting students, say cops
Senior department officials have described the measures as preventive steps intended to deter young citizens from incurring formal criminal records.
According to the Indian Express, a senior officer said, "In cases we have found Whatsapp numbers that are operating from Indian students abroad. We are looking into identifying them but we are trying to discourage students to protest and get FIRs against them which would hamper their future and processes like passport verification."
Protest details
What defense lawyers are saying
However, defense lawyers and legal advocacy groups argue that electronic location tracking, messaging group checks, and home visits exceed standard preventive protocol.
According to the Scroll, People's Union for Civil Liberties lawyer Lara Jesani condemned the live location requests as "intimidation tactics" designed to monitor and scare students.
Legal experts Samya Korde and Vikrant Khare also challenged the digital monitoring. Khare said demanding live location data from non-detained individuals "is restricting the right to freedom of movement."