A volunteer-led digital initiative in New Delhi is using artificial intelligence to locate and transport protesters detained and abandoned by police on the outskirts of the Indian capital.
Known as the Detainee Gharwapsi Yojana, the project was developed by 25-year-old Rajiv Choudhary alongside journalist Meghnad. The system uses an AI-assisted dashboard, live mapping, and a network of more than 130 volunteers coordinating over WhatsApp to track police buses and provide free rides home for stranded demonstrators.
Tens of thousands of people have staged near-daily demonstrations in New Delhi and other cities since early October. Organised by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party, left-leaning student groups, and the opposition Congress party, the protests demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities that saw 133 million people removed from voter rolls.
In response, authorities have closed metro stations, blocked roads, and detained thousands of demonstrators in what represents a major challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12-year administration. Detainees are routinely placed on police buses and left in unfamiliar areas, sometimes up to 50 kilometres away from protest sites.
“For people caught up in these demonstrations, the ordeal doesn’t end with detention. They can be taken far from the protest site and left trying to find their way home from unfamiliar locations, often struggling to contact friends or arrange transport,” Choudhary said.
The network specifically focuses on assisting women, minors, and the elderly. On Sunday, a 19-year-old woman was stranded along a dark road roughly 50 kilometres from the protest site after police detained her in central New Delhi. With no cash and a drained phone battery, she was recovered by volunteers after recognising one of the drivers from online videos.
Choudhary, who initially began tracking detainees using a basic spreadsheet following earlier demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, said drivers and volunteers are offering their assistance without charge. While the operation currently functions only in New Delhi, organisers plan to expand the network to other Indian cities.
