Actors Imran Khan, Lekha Washington and Zayn Marie were released hours after being detained by Mumbai Police during a protest on Saturday.
The trio had joined members of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at August Kranti Maidan, where demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Videos and photographs from the incident surfaced around 4 pm on Saturday, showing the actors being taken away in a police van. Imran, his girlfriend Lekha and his cousin Zayn were reportedly moved to an undisclosed location following their detention.
The three later shared updates on social media, confirming their release and recounting their experience with the police.
Imran Khan, Lekha Washington And Zayn Marie Share Updates After Release
Lekha Washington took to Instagram on Saturday night to share a reel confirming that they were safe after being released. In a subsequent Instagram Story, she was seen hugging Imran Khan and Zayn after the trio returned home.
However, Lekha also claimed that their difficulties continued even after their release. In an earlier reel, she said they were unable to book a cab to return home because Mumbai Police were allegedly threatening drivers who agreed to take them.
Zayn Marie also documented their detention through a series of Instagram Stories. She reposted footage showing the actors being taken into a police van, allegedly without being informed about their destination.
In another video recorded inside the vehicle, she was heard raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah while demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. A few passers-by on the road subsequently joined the slogans.
In another Instagram Story, Zayn spoke about what happened after they reached Yellow Gate police station. She claimed that when the three asked the officials why they had been detained, they received no clear explanation. The actors eventually decided to leave the police station but were allegedly followed by an officer.
Explaining the situation, Zayn said, “I’ve been asking him why we were detained, but he has no clue either. He just says, ‘Two minutes,’ and then goes on the phone for hours,” she added, with a shrug of her shoulders.
Videos shared by other protesters also showed Imran speaking about the incident. In one clip, he claimed that he, Lekha and Zayn had been driven around in a police van for a couple of hours without being given a reason for their detention.
Another video showed Imran and Zayn questioning police officers about why they were being held. When the officers walked away without responding, Imran bid them goodbye with a “Jai Hind!”.
Imran Khan Recreates Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na Reference Inside Police Van
Amid the tense situation, Zayn shared a lighthearted video featuring Imran inside the police van. The clip referenced the actor’s 2008 debut film, Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na, directed by Abbas Tyrewala.
In the cult romantic comedy, Imran played Jai Rathore, a non-violent young man from a family of warriors in Rajasthan. His character has to fulfil three conditions – ride a horse, go to jail and beat someone up – to earn the title of a true “Ranjore ka Rathore”.
Recalling the conditions in the film, Zayn asked Imran whether he had ever ridden a horse, gone to jail or beaten someone up. Imran responded with a chuckle that he had ridden a horse but had never assaulted anyone in real life. He also expressed uncertainty about whether his detention would lead to jail time.
“Ho sakta hai (it’s possible),” he said.
Imran also caught the attention of social media users after posting a photograph of himself inside the police van on Instagram. The actor captioned the picture, “Apparently I’m going for a drive.”
Zayn subsequently reposted a fan-made meme featuring the photograph, accompanied by Imran’s popular dance track Dhatt Teri Ki Main Ghar Nahi Jana from Punit Malhotra’s 2013 romantic comedy Gori Tere Pyaar Mein.
Why Were Imran Khan And Other Protesters Detained?
The detention took place during demonstrations organised by the Cockroach Janata Party, whose members were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The controversy gained wider attention following an investigation into the revision exercise. Protests were organised in several parts of the country, including Mumbai and Delhi, as demonstrators called for accountability over the alleged irregularities.
Mumbai Police maintained that permission had not been sought for the gathering at August Kranti Maidan. CJP workers, however, claimed that they had emailed the authorities requesting permission but had not received a response.
The police action extended beyond Mumbai. In Delhi, more than 4,000 protesters were detained across the capital, primarily in areas around Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site. Several CJP leaders and prominent opposition politicians were also detained before they could assemble at the venue.
