They were released later that day. Actor Lekha Washington has opened up about her detention with partner Imran Khan and actor Zayn Marie during a protest in Mumbai on Saturday. In an Instagram post, Lekha described how the three had gone to August Kranti Maidan to check on friends who had been detained, only to find themselves caught up in a tense situation involving the police and media personnel.
She alleged that she and Zayn were grabbed by uniformed officers, leaving them with bruises, before the group was taken away in a vehicle.
Lekha said she, Imran, Zayn Marie, Imran’s mother, Nuzhat and a few others reached August Kranti Maidan at around 5 pm on Saturday. Their intention, she explained, was to find out what had happened to friends who had been detained. In her post, Lekha also pointed out that she and her companions were in a position of privilege, adding that others could be facing much worse circumstances. Zayn also shared her account of the incident on Instagram. Her post came after videos of the trio being taken away by the police surfaced online.
Lekha said the interaction was cut short by loud whistles and the commotion around them, leaving Imran unable to finish what he was saying. “Before he could even finish his sentence, with the weight of the media on one side, loud and incessant whistle-blowing disrupted everything,” she added. She acknowledged the Mumbai Police’s role in her own experiences and said she continued to value the force. In a reel, the actor showed bruises and marks on her arm, fingers and legs, offering a glimpse of the injuries she said she sustained during the protest.
