Eight people, including five women, were detained briefly by Chennai police on Sunday, 29 December, for drawing kolam (rangoli) outside people’s houses and common places in Besant Nagar with anti-CAA slogans. Those detained included two lawyers who went to the police station.

All of them were later released by the cops.

The police, including the assistant commissioner, who were at the location, detained the protesters and took them to the station citing ‘unlawful assembly’. The police said that those detained didn’t seek prior permission for the rangoli protest.

The protesters and the advocates were kept in a mandap (community hall) near the police station. Those detained alleged they were manhandled and that their phones were snatched by police.