Delhi Police’s preventive detention powers under NSA extended till 18 October

Delhi Deployment of police security personnel at Rajghat in New Delhi. File | Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The lieutenant governor has extended Delhi Police’s preventive detention powers under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) till October 18, according to an official notification.

In a statement, the Delhi Police said it was a “routine extension” of the power and that it had been “construed out of context” in some media reports that claimed the power was given to suppress a protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

Jantar Mantar protest LIVE

The CJP launched its protest at Jantar Mantar on June 20 against the NEET paper leak and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the issue.

On Monday, tens of thousands attempted to march to Parliament as part of the CJP-led ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest. The march witnessed violence, with dozens of protesters and police injured.

According to a notification issued on July 15 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Delhi, the city police commissioner has been given the power of detention under sub-section (2) of section 3 of the NSA. The force will be in effect until October 18, it said.

The NSA empowers the Center and states to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner “prejudicial to India’s defence”. The period of detention under the NSA ranges from three to 12 months, although it can be revoked earlier. It can be revoked by local government and must be ratified by a council headed by a former High Court judge.

As this is a preventive detention, not an arrest, there is no legal obligation to bring the detained person before the court.

In a statement, the Delhi Police said, “…it is clarified that the said order is a routine extension/renewal of powers under the NSA which is issued every three months.”

It further said that the current renewal was granted on July 7 for the period from July 19 to October 18, well before the CJP protests began.

“It is further clarified that no specific request has been made in the current context. The renewal is a routine administrative action and has been taken out of context in some media reports,” the statement said.

A Delhi government official said the power of detention under the NSA was routinely extended after every quarter. That authority has been delegated since the 1980s, he said.

Published – 23 Jul 2026 22:51 IST