Ahead of Big Events and VVIP Visits, Ahmedabad Police Double Down on Preventive Detentions with 150% Spike

Whenever Ahmedabad prepares for a major public gathering—be it the iconic Rath Yatra procession, Navratri celebrations, a high-stakes political rally, or a high-security VVIP visit—the operating rhythm of the local law enforcement shifts dramatically. An analysis of internal policing data spanning 587 days between 1 January 2025 and 10 August 2026 reveals a sharp surge in preventive detentions across the city in the days leading up to large events.

According to enforcement records analysed by reporting teams, preventive arrests jump by 150 per cent in the seven to ten days preceding major events. While the city maintains a steady baseline average of roughly 43 preventive detentions a day, that figure spikes to an average of 106.5 per day as police departments move to secure public spaces and preempt potential law-and-order disruptions.

The Numbers Behind Pre-Event Sweeps

Over the entire 587-day period evaluated, the Ahmedabad Police recorded a total of 25,006 preventive detentions. Under routine circumstances, these actions serve as a standard administrative tool to keep listed offenders and potential trouble-makers under check. However, whenever major religious, political, or protocol-driven events approach, the law enforcement machinery kicks into high gear, more than doubling its daily output.

Despite the comprehensive tracking of overall detention numbers, the dataset remains silent on critical details regarding repeat actions. The figures do not differentiate between unique individuals and habitual offenders being picked up repeatedly, making it difficult to assess how widely the preventive net is cast across the general population.

Deep Geographic Divide: East Zone Accounts for 65% of Detentions

The data highlights a massive geographical imbalance in how preventive policing is executed across the city. The East Zone accounts for nearly two-thirds of all preventive detentions in Ahmedabad, recording 16,254 arrests—or 65 per cent of the citywide total. By contrast, the West Zone registered 8,752 arrests, comprising 35 per cent.

• East Zone Daily Average: 27.7 preventive arrests per day

• West Zone Daily Average: 14.9 preventive arrests per day

Police officials attribute the stark contrast to targeted area sweeps and focused action against known offenders concentrated in eastern precincts, along with heavy pre-event security drives around sensitive locations. However, the data does not clarify whether the disparity stems from higher concentrations of flagged individuals, disproportionate police deployment, or a greater density of event venues in the East Zone.