MUMBAI: Police in Mumbai are digitally tracking student protestors, demanding that they share live locations, and even turning up at their homes to pressure them to stay away from the Cockroach Janta Party-led mass agitation that has now spread to several cities and even overseas.Students stage a protest at Ambedkar Garden in Chembur on Wednesday (Hindustan Times)And, yet, refusing to back down, around 2,500 youth, students and activists filled the narrow lanes near Shivaji Park in Dadar, over 200 others turned up at Chembur and many more at Juhu, Colaba and Powai on Wednesday, day five of the agitation.Even as the mass detentions continued – over 400 protestors were rounded up on Wednesday – police admitted to the electronic surveillance, allegedly violating the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Information Technology Act (IT Act), according to lawyers assisting the young protestors navigate the law.“On Wednesday, appeals had gone out to gather at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Garden in Chembur, at 1:00pm; in Juhu at 12:30pm and at Shivaji Park at 4:00pm,” said a senior police officer.“As a preventive measure, we started detaining people who had participated in earlier protest gatherings and whose data was available with us. Some police stations warned past protestors to share live locations and stay at home,” admitted the officer. “The data of past detainees was shared across police stations and detentions were carried out accordingly,” he added.Samya Korde, a lawyer representing many of the protestors, said police turned up at her Wadala home early on Wednesday and instructed her to stay home. Korde was detained and served a notice of appearance for protesting at Shivaji Park on Monday.“Electronic surveillance by the police is a violation of ‘personal privacy’ under the BNS and IT Act. It is also a violation of fundamental rights, alleged Korde.Police, however, are calling it a “positive” deterrent. “Our aim was positive, so instead of going to their homes or detaining them, some police stations asked them to share live locations,” said an officer.Korde alleged the intimidation didn’t stop there. “People were also detained at railway and metro stations and not allowed to board trains. They even visited the homes of students who had been served notices earlier,” she said.Sources cited the instance of a young man in Bhiwandi, who had participated in Monday’s Shivaji Park protest. Four policemen allegedly turned up at this doorstep on Wednesday, warning him against attending further student gatherings.Advocate Vikrant Khare, who is also assisting the protestors, claimed that a few students who had not attended a single protest were picked up by the police on Wednesday. “This is blatant intimidation,” he said.Police told HT they are also keeping tabs on individuals overseas. “Indian students studying abroad are gathering information, posting updates, and motivating students here. We have identified social media handles keeping them under observation,” said an officer.Meanwhile, at Shivaji Park, youth began to suddenly assemble at around 4.40pm. More than 2,500 people turned up to support the agitation seeking reforms in the education system and the resignation of senior politicians, including Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Announcements by the police asking demonstrators to disperse went unheeded but, unlike earlier protests, the protestors were not detained.As they walked, slogans, such as “Dharmendra Pradhan Istafa Do”, filled the air. Shivaji Pawar, a 72-year-old Dadar resident who had stepped out to buy milk for his evening tea, found himself joining the procession. He walked nearly 200 metres with the young protesters. “After destroying the careers of so many people, how can the government act as if nothing happened? Participating is the bare minimum I can do,” Pawar said.Among the marchers was law student Samaira Patel, 23. “The numbers have multiplied despite everyone knowing what is happening in Delhi and Mumbai. We heard people were picked up and harassed for participating in yesterday’s protest. There is anger and there is a surge for change,” she said.The march continued through parts of Dadar and Mahim, where local residents joined in the sloganeering while others stood in balconies, waving at the demonstrators in solidarity.After singing of the national anthem, the demonstrators dispersed at around 8 pm.Politicians detainedIn Colaba, police veteran political activist Tushar Gandhi and state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal were detained for around 90 minutes after a protest at Gandhi Bhavan. On his release, Gandhi said, “This is police raj. While we were only detained, the police have slapped FIRs against hundreds of students. The orders are clearly coming from the very top.”Congress legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar and former minister Naseem Khan were stopped near Regal cinema as they headed towards the Maharashtra BJP office in South Mumbai on Wednesday, while the Malabar Hill police detained Congress MLAs Amin Patel and Aslam Shaikh, and several Congress corporators who had assembled to reach Lok Bhavan on Tuesday.