Overview
- Mobile internet in parts of central Delhi around Jantar Mantar was ordered suspended on Monday with telecom companies told to cut services until 6 pm, and two major providers confirmed they received directions.
- Many subscribers in the affected area received texts citing government instructions and the tag REGINF, a short label used to indicate regulatory information in shutdown notices.
- Journalists and protesters reported that signal jammers and the service suspension forced people to move away from the site to make calls or access the internet, which limited real-time reporting and documentation of events.
- Delhi Police deployed heavy security around the protest and used lathi-charge and tear gas after demonstrators tried to breach barricades during a Cockroach Janata Party march that had demanded accountability over NEET exam leaks.
- Digital-rights groups including the Internet Freedom Foundation and the Software Freedom Law Centre criticised that no formal suspension order had been published, noting this fits a larger pattern of shutdowns that rights groups say undermines transparency and could prompt legal challenges.