New Delhi: As many as 22 women activists from Left students’ party Students’ Federation of India who took out a tricolour rally in Connaught Place were illegally detained by Delhi Police, reporters on the ground and the SFI have said.Earlier in the day today – day two of citizens’ attempts to reach Jantar Mantar amidst brutal suppression by the Delhi Police – the Rajiv Chowk and Connaught Place area saw men claiming to be affiliated to Hindutva groups physically charge at, intimidate and rampage against protesters and journalists in the area.A tricolour rally was organised by the SFI at Connaught Place to protest against the violence against minors and women journalists by Hindutva goons – footage that went viral a day ago – and the brutal violence that Delhi Police has been subjecting peaceful protestors to.Despite a Supreme Court directive against the detention of peaceful women activists, many were picked up and detained from this rally despite Section 43(5) of the BNSS, which renders arresting or detaining women after sunset illegal.“Not only were these women activists manhandled by male police officers but they were also slapped in the face while being detained,” the SFI has said in a statement.This, it noted, is a violation of Section 46(1) of BNSS which states that only female police officers can physically handle, search or detain a woman.SFI leader Aishe Ghosh who was supposed to have come on as a guest at a show of The Wire was detained and posted on X, “I have been detained from Connaught Place while participating in Tiranga Yatra along with other women. We will not stop. Jantar Mantar 2.0 is on…,” she wrote.I have been detained from Connaught Place while participating in Tiranga Yatra along with other women.We will not stop.Jantar Mantar 2.0 is on… https://t.co/KKaASXT3JA— Aishe (ঐশী) (@aishe_ghosh) October 11, 2026The detention bus also had no lights and no presence of women police officers, which SFI noted is mandated by the ruling in Sheela Barse v.s. State of Maharashtra.Women protesting against the police action on female demonstrators were forcibly removed. The detention bus had no lights, while male police officers surrounded the women activists.#VoteChori #ECI #India https://t.co/0QoGPE3XvF— The Wire (@thewire_in) October 11, 2026‘Every inch of Connaught Place has been locked down,’ reporter Tarun Sahu said live from the site us during The Wire’s live show.