Saurabh Bharadwaj (PTI image)

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj, along with several party workers was detained by police on Sunday while protesting in west Delhi’s Janakpuri over the death of 25-year-old Kamal Dhyani. The protest was organised to demand justice for Dhyani, who died earlier on Thursday after his motorcycle allegedly fell into an unmarked pit.According to the AAP, Bharadwaj and other leaders had gathered in Janakpuri to pay tribute to Dhyani by lighting candles. However, Delhi police erected barricades across the area and detained the protesters. In a series of posts on X, Bharadwaj said that he was being taken away by the police and questioned the action against what he described as a peaceful tribute.“Today we had come to Janakpuri to pay tribute to Kamal Dhyaani who was killed there. The police has put up barricades everywhere today. We said no sloganeering is happening, we will just light candles and leave. Is even this much now a crime?” he wrote.He also raised political allegations in his post, claiming, “The BJP government had stolen the election through deceit and fraud exactly one year ago today, and the entire Delhi is commemorating this one-year anniversary.” Bharadwaj further demanded justice for Kamal Dhyani, action against the Delhi Police Commissioner and criticised Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta.Speaking to reporters while being detained, Bharadwaj accused the authorities of suppressing dissent. “You can see the level of dictatorship. No one lodged a complaint, even when the parents of Kamal Dhyani went to six police stations. The police are detaining us when we have all gathered to pay tribute to him,” he said.The protest follows days of sharp criticism by the AAP against the Delhi Police and the BJP-led Delhi government over Dhyani’s death. Bharadwaj has alleged police negligence and attempts to hide crucial information related to the case. He claimed that Dhyani’s family visited six police stations on the night of the incident but no missing complaint was registered and that the location data of the victim’s mobile phone was allegedly deleted.Dhyani, a resident of Janakpuri, reportedly fell into a deep pit late at night while riding his motorcycle on February 5. His family and friends have alleged that the pit was poorly barricaded and unmarked and that timely police action could have saved his life. The incident has drawn comparisons with a recent case in Noida, where a young IT professional died after his car plunged into a water-filled construction pit, renewing concerns over road safety, unmarked construction sites and accountability of civic authorities in the Delhi-NCR region.The Delhi government has said that it has taken cognisance of the Janakpuri incident and assured action against those responsible. Meanwhile, the AAP has said it will continue to raise the issue and demand accountability for what it calls a preventable tragedy.