NEW DELHI: Delhi Police took over 200 people, many of them listed as ‘bad characters’, into preventive custody while they were on their way to Jantar Mantar. Intelligence inputs have indicated that more people, including non-students from Punjab, UP, Rajasthan and Haryana, were being mobilised to travel to the capital.Officials clarified that people who had valid reasons for their travel were not detained, and many were let off after verification. A total of 215 people were detained by South East district police. Most were picked up from inter-district pockets around Neela Gumbad, Hazrat Nizamuddin area, the Oberoi Hotel flyover, and the border at Badarpur. A pistol and two knives were allegedly recovered from three people, who were arrested. Prohibitory orders under BNSS Section 163 remained in force.In North West district, police detained 10-15 people with criminal backgrounds on the suspicion that they might disrupt law and order. Central district police said they detained ahistory-sheeter as a preventive measure. All suspects were detained under Section 65 of Delhi Police Act, which requires persons to comply with directions of a police officer.At the Sabz Burj roundabout near Nizamuddin, at least 10 police personnel halted auto rickshaws and cars with young people aboard. Barricades were placed on the road, forcing vehicles to slow down as they drove towards central Delhi.“Police asked to see our identity cards and demanded to know where we were going. We told them we wanted to go to Jantar Mantar but they did not allow us to pass and told the auto driver to turn away. Metro stations are shut, we have no way of reaching there now,” said a 19-year-old, not wishing to be named.Police officials at the barricades said prohibitory orders were in force and they had orders to restrict movement of groups of people towards central Delhi.Meanwhile, deployment has been increased around Jantar Mantar, Tolstoy Marg, Sansad Marg and adjoining stretches, including Mathura Road. The Sansad Marg–Tolstoy Marg intersection showed a visibly tighter security grid than in previous days. Barricades, which were earlier placed further down the road, had now been shifted right up to the intersection, effectively sealing one stretch leading to the protest site.The only entry is a narrow gap between the barricades and the boundary wall. Some protesters were seen climbing over the low wall and squeezing through when security personnel were distracted. The area around the protest site remained heavily fortified, with Delhi Police, RAF and CRPF personnel deployed at key junctions and barricades.At the back entrance to the protest site, accessible from the Kerala Bhavan side, security has also been reinforced. On the road leading to the back side of the stage, three layers of barricading have been erected within a distance of 100 metres, with police personnel deployed at each checkpoint to screen movement towards the venue.Officials have also rearranged barricades to better regulate crowds. At several locations, rope-secured barricades have been placed in multiple zigzag layers, creating narrow single-file entry points that slow movement and make it easier for security personnel to screen people entering the protest area.On Thursday, both the front and rear entrances to the protest site were heavily guarded. Security deployment extended well beyond the immediate protest venue, with personnel and barricades visible along stretches leading to Connaught Place. Several anti-riot vehicles were stationed in the area and positioned just behind the barricades as a precautionary measure. Additional police vehicles and reserve forces were also kept on standby.While the Sansad Marg stretch towards Rajiv Chowk remains open, at the very end of the road, multiple layers of barricades now leave only a narrow passage for protesters. Unlike earlier, when barricades were placed further away from the junction, they have now been brought much closer to the intersection.Dismissing speculation, Delhi Police said on X there was no plan to crack down on the ongoing protest Thursday night. It also dismissed rumours claiming it would initiate passport cancellation proceedings against individuals found involved in rioting.