Group alleges Mumbai Police searched activist's home over Palestine kites

A citizens' group, Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine, alleged that Mumbai Police searched the home of student and volunteer Harshada on Friday without a warrant or written notice over kite-flying in solidarity with Palestinian children. It said five activists were not allowed to leave during the search, while a sixth was questioned at Bandra police station and released. Police left at 2.30 am on Saturday and filed a panchnama, member Pooja said. Police did not respond.

Written by AI from Scroll.in · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 19 Sept 2026, 12:28 pm IST

Source

Scroll.in · read the original report ↗

#mumbai police#palestine solidarity#civil liberties#activists#gaza

Desk check · some claims need care

What the desk checked (5)

Mumbai Police searched activist Harshada's home without a warrant or written notice from 5.30 pm Friday to 2.30 am Saturday. — Alleged by citizens' group Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine and by Pooja, a member; not confirmed by police.
Five activists were not allowed to leave the home during the search and a sixth was questioned at Bandra police station before release. — Attributed to the group; no police confirmation in source.
Police filed a panchnama and did not state the reason for the search. — Attributed to Pooja, quoted in the source.
Two deputy police commissioners did not respond and Bandra senior inspector Ravindra Salunkhe said he was unaware of details. — Stated by the reporting outlet as its own attempt at response; consistent within source.
More than 73,300 people, including over 20,000 children, have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. — Figure appears in source; child casualty figures attributed to a UN commission of inquiry.

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Analysts’ view opinion

AI Political Analyst

An alleged nine-hour search over a symbolic protest involving kites — if borne out — is not merely a policing matter; it is a political signal about how India's shift on the Palestine question is filtering into domestic policing. Such action cuts both ways: it can chill small citizens' groups, but it also hands them visibility and draws wider civil-liberties platforms to their side. With the police yet to respond, the narrative currently rests entirely on the activists' account — usually a political cost for the authorities.

Palestine is no longer only a foreign-policy debate in Indian politics; it is becoming a domestic battleground over civil liberties and free expression.
Allegations of a search without a warrant, stretching to 2.30 am, give opposition parties and rights groups an easy 'due process' line of attack.
Because policing in Maharashtra sits with the state government, questions of political accountability are likely to be directed at the state's rulers.
The standard official counter-argument tends to be security and public order, but the claim that no reason for the search was given weakens that framing.
A pattern of action against student activists tends to politicise campuses and younger voters rather than quieten them.

What to watch — Watch for whether an FIR exists and under which sections, whether the police issue a formal explanation, and whether opposition leaders or rights bodies take this to the legislature or the courts.

Every allegation here comes from the activists' group; the police have not responded, and the story does not establish whether the search had a lawful basis or on whose orders it was conducted.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 9 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

A citizens' group called Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine has alleged that Mumbai Police searched the home of a student-volunteer, Harshada, in connection with participation in a global "Gaza kite campaign" held between September 11 and September 15. The group says plainclothes men claiming to be police officers arrived at 3 pm on Friday, uniformed personnel began searches at 5.30 pm without a warrant or written notice, and officers left only at 2.30 am on Saturday after filing a panchnama. Five activists were allegedly not allowed to leave during the search and a sixth was interrogated at Bandra police station before release. The campaign itself was a response to Israel's stated position of treating kites and balloons flown in Gaza as a security threat on par with drones, amid its offensive in Gaza.

Key facts

The global Gaza kite campaign, in which the activists participated, was held between September 11 and September 15.
Plainclothes persons claiming to be police officers reached volunteer and student Harshada's home at 3 pm on Friday; uniformed searches began at 5.30 pm.
Police officers left the residence at 2.30 am on Saturday, after more than nine hours, according to group member Pooja.
The group alleged the search was conducted "without any warrant and without furnishing any written notice or document".
Five activists were allegedly not allowed to leave the home during the search; a sixth was interrogated at Bandra police station on Friday and released in the evening.
Police made a list of items found at the residence and eventually filed a panchnama; Pooja said no reason for the search was given.
Two deputy police commissioners did not respond to Scroll's request for comment; Bandra senior police inspector Ravindra Salunkhe said he was not aware of the details.
Israel's offensive has left more than 73,300 persons dead in Gaza; it began in October 2023 after Hamas killed 1,200 persons in southern Israel and took hostages.

Timeline

October 2023Israeli military's offensive in Gaza begins after Hamas killed 1,200 persons in its incursion into southern Israel and took hostages.
June (2025)UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry says Israeli military deliberately targeted and killed Palestinian children; over 20,000 children killed and 44,000 injured since October 2023.
September 11-15Global Gaza kite campaign held in solidarity with Palestinian children.
September 2025UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry says Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Friday, 3 pmPersons in plainclothes claiming to be police officers arrive at Harshada's home in Mumbai.
Friday, 5.30 pmUniformed police personnel begin searches, allegedly without warrant or written notice; five activists not allowed to leave.
Friday eveningA sixth activist, interrogated at Bandra police station, is released.
Saturday, 2.30 amPolice leave the residence after listing items found and filing a panchnama.
SaturdayThe group posts publicly criticising the over nine-hour search "merely for flying kites in solidarity with Palestinian children".

Who has a stake

Harshada, student and volunteer — Her residence was searched for over nine hours; alleges violation of privacy and civil liberties.
Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine — Citizens' group whose members were searched and questioned; has demanded action against the police's "illegal actions".
Mumbai Police / Bandra police station — Accused of searching without warrant or written notice; two deputy commissioners did not respond to requests for comment.
Five activists detained at the house and a sixth questioned — Allegedly not allowed to leave during the search; the sixth was interrogated and released.
Palestinian children in Gaza — Subject of the solidarity campaign; parents stopped them flying kites after Israel equated kites and balloons with drones as security threats.
UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry — Found in September 2025 that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Why it matters

The allegations raise questions about the legality of searches conducted without a warrant or written notice, and about the space available for peaceful, symbolic political expression in India. The group frames the action as an \"all-out assault on our democratic rights and civil liberties\" and a \"blatant violation of an individual's right to privacy\". The episode also reflects how the Gaza conflict and India's position on Palestine are playing out in domestic civic activism.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

Panchnama: legal document recording an investigating officer's observations, findings and evidence collected during a search.
Global Gaza kite campaign was held between September 11 and September 15 in solidarity with Palestinian children.
Israel said it will treat kites and balloons in Gaza as a security threat on par with drones.
UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded in September 2025 that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Gaza toll cited: more than 73,300 killed; over 20,000 children killed and 44,000 injured since October 2023 (commission, June).
Israel's offensive began in October 2023 after Hamas killed 1,200 persons in southern Israel and took hostages.

Mains framing

The alleged nine-hour search of a student activist's Mumbai home over participation in a kite-flying solidarity campaign sits at the intersection of two questions: the procedural limits on police search powers and the constitutional protection of peaceful political expression. The group's core allegations are that the search proceeded without a warrant or any written notice, that no reason was communicated, that five activists were prevented from leaving, and that a panchnama was filed only at the end - claims the police have not answered, with two deputy commissioners not responding and a Bandra senior inspector saying he was unaware of the details. If accurate, the sequence implicates the right to privacy and the freedom to express solidarity with a foreign humanitarian cause; the trigger itself - kites flown for Palestinian children after Israel equated kites and balloons with drones - underscores how symbolic, non-violent protest is being policed. The way forward suggested by the source is limited to the group's own demand: action against what it calls the police's "illegal actions", alongside transparent disclosure by the police of the legal basis, authorisation and purpose of the search. Since the source records no official police version, any assessment must remain provisional pending that response.

Key terms

Panchnama: A legal document recording the observations, findings and evidence collected by an investigating officer during a search.
Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine: Citizens' group whose volunteers participated in the global Gaza kite campaign and which made the allegations against Mumbai Police.
Global Gaza kite campaign: Solidarity campaign held September 11-15 in which kites were flown for Palestinian children.
UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry: UN panel that in September 2025 said Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Hamas: Palestinian militant group whose October 2023 incursion into southern Israel killed 1,200 persons and took hostages, triggering Israel's offensive.

Practice questions

Examine the legal safeguards governing police searches of private residences in India and the consequences when searches are conducted without a warrant or written notice.
"Symbolic and non-violent protest is integral to democratic expression." Discuss with reference to the policing of solidarity campaigns in India.
How do international findings such as the UN Commission of Inquiry's genocide determination on Gaza shape domestic civil society activism and state responses to it?

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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