Mumbai: Actor Ayesha Khan, who recently grabbed attention with her special song Shararat in Dhurandhar, has claimed that she was detained by the Mumbai Police on Wednesday.
The actor took to Instagram to share a video statement detailing the incident. According to Ayesha, she had gathered at a protest site in Mumbai along with some of her male and female friends to show solidarity with the ongoing student protests.
Ayesha alleged that she was forcibly taken away without being given any explanation and pushed into a police van.
In the video, the actor said she had arrived in Dadar around 4 PM to extend her support to the student protests. However, she claimed that before she could say anything or raise a slogan, a police officer told her that she could not protest at the location.
Responding to the officer, Ayesha said, “Bata dijiye dusra aur kya raasta hain (Please tell me what the other option is)?”
She alleged that before any further conversation could take place, the police first pulled her brother and a friend away.
She then claimed that around 15 police personnel, including 10 men and five women, instructed her and her friends to get into a 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 about what our mistake was and why we had been detained, but there was no response or accountability. We were taken from Dadar to Worli),” Ayesha said.
Ayesha further said that the police personnel at Worli treated them respectfully. However, she questioned the reason behind their detention and asked why they had been taken into custody in the first place.
In a separate post, the actor shared a video that appeared to show her being pushed into a police van.
She captioned the post, “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.”
This marks the third consecutive day of protests in Mumbai and several other cities. The demonstrations were initially launched in New Delhi by the CJP at Jantar Mantar before moving towards Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon Session.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike, was reportedly taken away by the police on Saturday.
In Mumbai, protests were held at several locations, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
At Shivaji Park, protesters gathered near Chaityabhoomi, with one demonstrator claiming that some participants were arrested even before they could reach the protest site.