Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Friday accused the BJP government at the Centre of suffering from ‘deep insecurity’ and establishing a virtual “Police Raj” in the country.

The party criticised the arrest and seven-day detention of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) youth activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were jailed for carrying the National Flag and protesting peacefully at Delhi’s historic Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The Thackray camp, in an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, Samaana, questioned whether the government is afraid of peaceful democratic protests or terrified of young citizens holding the Indian National Flag. It condemned the government for systematically seizing public protest venues — from Mumbai and Delhi to Patna, Lucknow, and Kolkata — denouncing it as the outright choking of democracy.

Pointing out a stark contrast, the editorial highlighted that while courts lecture idealist youths holding the Tricolour, justice appears surprisingly lenient towards perpetrators of grave crimes, citing the case of rape-convicted former politician Kuldeep Sengar, whose sentence was suspended by a judge on the bench.

The editorial criticised the administration for using uniformed forces and political loyalists to suppress dissent, asserting that politicians once faced protesters directly, whereas the current regime hides behind barricades, police forces, and court injunctions.

The editorial detailed how CJP activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were locked up in Tihar Jail after defying prohibitory orders issued by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who unilaterally removed Jantar Mantar from the list of approved protest sites. “The children did not go to Jantar Mantar to play ‘Dandiya’; they went to raise their voice against corrupt electoral practices. If the government were truly generous and democratic, would it lock down Jantar Mantar? Asking protesters to seek government permission before rallying against state injustice is absurd — would a despotic regime ever grant permission for a protest against itself?” questioned the editorial.

Refuting arguments that “unscrupulous elements” might infiltrate public rallies — a rationale cited to justify police clearances — the Thackeray camp pointed out that prominent leaders such as Sonam Wangchuk, opposition MPs, and Parakala Prabhakar (the economist and husband of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman) have all taken to the streets. “Are these individuals also ‘troublemakers’?” the editorial asked, alleging that actual violence stems from government-backed elements clad in khaki executing crackdowns on students.

Expressing deep disappointment over the High Court’s lecturing young idealists about student unrest in France or Albania, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena urged the judiciary to look at the root cause rather than the symptoms.

The editorial asserted that the policy under the current leadership has become clear — citizens must not ask questions, nor should they demand accountability. The editorial concluded that when a government begins fearing peaceful, nation-loving youths holding the Tricolour, it signals not strength but the peak of political paranoia — a phenomenon uniquely characteristic of the Modi-Shah administration.

A suspected network of women has emerged as a significant aspect of the investigation into the firing incident involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff’s car, with the Mumbai Crime Branch taking another woman into custody for questioning.

The development comes after the arrest of two women in connection with the case, while investigators continue to pursue suspects across multiple states.

According to officials, the woman was brought to the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch for questioning. However, investigators have not yet disclosed her alleged role in the firing incident or the nature of her links to the other accused. Earlier, two women, identified as Radha and Babita, were arrested in Delhi in connection with the case.

In a parallel development, the Anti-Extortion Cell arrested three more accused from Sonipat in Haryana on Thursday. Mumbai Police have been conducting raids in different states based on intelligence inputs as part of the ongoing investigation. Following searches and arrests in Kota, Rajasthan, and Delhi, the police operation has now extended to Haryana.

The three accused arrested in Sonipat have been identified as Sameer, Jatin and Ankit Khatak. The Anti-Extortion Cell brought them to Mumbai following their arrest. They are expected to be produced before a court as part of the legal proceedings.

Investigators suspect that Sameer played a coordinating role in the alleged conspiracy. According to the police, he acted as a link between Anil Pandit and the alleged shooter, Rehan. Sameer is also accused of arranging funds and weapons in connection with the incident.

Police sources said that shortly after the firing, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang allegedly claimed responsibility through a social media post. A man identified as Anil Pandit was reportedly posting messages on behalf of the gang, according to the information being examined by investigators.

The police are continuing to investigate the precise roles of Jatin and Ankit Khatak, along with the possible involvement of other individuals in the alleged conspiracy.

With the latest arrests, the total number of people arrested in the case has reportedly reached 10, including two women. The third woman remains in custody for questioning, and her alleged connection to the incident is yet to be established publicly.

The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested four additional suspects—two women and two men—in connection with the firing incident involving Tiger Shroff. The arrested individuals include two women, Beeta and Radha, as well as two men, Kunal and Vijender. All four were presented before the Killa Court today, amid tight security arrangements. The police requested police custody (remand) for the suspects to facilitate further interrogation; the court granted this request and ordered that they be held in police custody until October 26. The two women are accused of supplying weapons to the shooters and assisting the other suspects. The police sought this remand to conduct further investigations, including determining whether the suspects have any links to the Bishnoi gang. So far, a total of 10 suspects have been arrested in this case. Previously, the police had arrested the shooters—Phool Singh, Rehan, and Ritik (alias Roshan)—who carried out the firing; they were apprehended by the Kota Police while traveling by train from Mumbai toward Delhi, acting on information provided by the Mumbai Police. Additionally, the Delhi Special Cell arrested six other suspects from Haryana and Delhi, including women and individuals involved in supplying weapons. The police are continuing their investigation into the matter.