Lekha Washington Says She Was Bruised in Mumbai Detention
Lekha Washington shares her account of being detained with Imran Khan and Zayn Marie after they went to check on friends at August Kranti Maidan.
Lekha Washington has given her own version of the weekend scenes at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan, where she was filmed being led into a police van with Imran Khan and Zayn Marie. In an Instagram post, she said the group had gone to the ground only to check on friends who had already been detained.
What Lekha says happened
According to Lekha, the group — which included Imran’s mother, Nuzhat — reached the maidan at around 5 pm on Saturday. There was no gathering, she wrote, but the area was barricaded and reporters were present. Imran began answering questions, saying they had no demands and were not part of any organisation.
Lekha said the conversation ended before he could finish. She described “loud and incessant whistle-blowing” that disrupted the moment, and then a quick escalation.
“A stream of uniformed persons grabbed both Zayn and me, bruising us,” she wrote. “They forced us all into the vehicle and then drove us around for a couple of hours.”
The group was released later that day. After the drive, Lekha added, they were not allowed to take public transport.
The facts at a glance
- Lekha Washington, Imran Khan and Zayn Marie were detained on Saturday evening.
- Lekha says she and Zayn were grabbed and bruised before being put into a vehicle.
- They were driven around for a couple of hours and released the same day.
- The maidan protest was over electoral-roll concerns and calls for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Privilege and perspective
Lekha was also careful to place her experience in a wider frame. She wrote that she and her companions are in a position of privilege, and that “far worse is being done to others.” She thanked the Mumbai Police and called the force “a beacon of balance in my personal experience.”
That is the part fans may miss in the video clips. A bad afternoon for three recognisable faces does not compare with what ordinary protesters may face, and Lekha said so herself.
What the protest was about
The demonstration at August Kranti Maidan was part of protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Similar concerns have been raised in Delhi and other cities.
The three are home again, and Zayn later shared a reel showing marks on her arm, fingers and legs. For their fans, the story is simple: they went to look for friends, got caught in a police sweep, and are now telling their side.
Source: Hindustan Times
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