AISA national president Neha Bora was released from the Narela Industrial Area police station after she was detained during a protest march towards Jantar Mantar on Sunday.

However, AISA members said she was released without her phone and bag, prompting the organisation to send a team of lawyers to the police station.

Bora was among the protesters who attempted to reach Jantar Mantar as AISA activists returned to the area for the third consecutive day, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

AISA members earlier alleged that Bora was taken away by Delhi Police in a private vehicle without an official number plate and transported to an undisclosed location. They also claimed that no woman police officer was present inside the vehicle when she was taken away.

The allegations were rejected by a senior police officer, who called them baseless.

The officer also alleged that some protesters attacked police personnel deployed at the protest and bit them.

After Bora's release, AISA members said she did not have her phone or bag with her. The organisation said lawyers were being sent to the Narela Industrial Area police station to assist her.

What happened during Sunday's protest?

The latest demonstration began near Andhra Bhawan Circle on Ashoka Road, from where protesters marched towards Jantar Mantar while raising slogans.

Police had put up extensive barricades and deployed security personnel to prevent the protesters from reaching the designated protest site. The situation briefly turned tense as demonstrators attempted to cross the barricades.

Visuals from the protest showed Bora trying to climb over a barricade while police officials attempted to stop her.

Sunday's mobilisation followed two days of detentions in central Delhi. More than 150 protesters were detained on Saturday, while over 500 protesters, including student activists and political leaders, were detained during Friday's demonstrations.

Police had denied permission for Friday's gathering, following which additional forces were deployed across central Delhi. Roads leading towards Jantar Mantar were barricaded, while access to some nearby metro stations was temporarily restricted.

Why are protesters demanding action against the Election Commission?

The demonstrations are part of a wider campaign over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission, the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the alleged mass deletion of voters.

The protests intensified following an investigation by The Indian Express, which reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period to SIR-related decisions and orders that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

The Election Commission, facing questions over the objections raised by the two commissioners, has maintained that differences of opinion and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations. It has also said that its orders have full legal sanction and are issued in accordance with established statutory procedures.

With PTI inputs