Mumbai: Mumbai Police have adopted a combination of doorstep visits and digital monitoring to prevent students from participating in fresh demonstrations linked to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led agitation over alleged examination irregularities.

The preventive measures, introduced after several days of protests across the city, mark a shift towards direct engagement with individuals who have previously taken part in demonstrations at locations such as Shivaji Park, Chembur and Azad Maidan.

According to reports, protesters named in FIRs or those who had earlier received legal notices were contacted directly by local police stations. Several participants shared screenshots on social media showing police officials asking them to remain at home and continuously share their WhatsApp live location as proof that they were not attending protests.

Police also reportedly served notices under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) through messaging applications during the early hours of the day, directing recipients to appear for questioning in connection with previous demonstrations.

In addition to digital outreach, police personnel visited the homes of student protesters across Mumbai and neighbouring municipal areas. During these visits, officers informed families about ongoing investigations and advised students against participating in further public gatherings.

Police teams were also deployed at major railway stations and metro hubs to identify individuals believed to be heading towards protest venues. Information about previously detained protesters was circulated among police stations to facilitate their identification during routine checks.

Senior police officials described the measures as preventive rather than punitive, saying the objective was to discourage young people from acquiring criminal records that could affect future employment, higher education opportunities and passport applications.

However, lawyers representing protesters and civil liberties groups questioned the legality of the measures, arguing that requests for continuous location sharing, monitoring of messaging groups and visits to private residences raise concerns over privacy rights and freedom of movement.

Mumbai has witnessed several demonstrations in solidarity with the CJP-led protests in Delhi. Political parties, student organisations and activists continued protests for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, demanding action over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and condemning the police action against CJP protesters in the national capital.

Meanwhile, CJP supporters continued their sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Thursday, demanding accountability for alleged irregularities in examinations, including NEET-UG 2026, reforms to the education system, and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.