The short answer
Someone is taken from a protest and their phone goes silent. Do five things, in order. One: write the last confirmed time, place, clothing, phone number and the police vehicle or unit if known — do not rely on memory later. Two: call 112 and the likely local police station, and ask the SHO whether the person is there and under which provision. Three: invoke Section 48 of the BNSS — the police must promptly inform the arrested person's nominee about the arrest and the place of holding. Four: call NALSA 15100 for a legal-aid lawyer. Five: if the whereabouts stay unknown, tell a lawyer or legal-aid office you may need urgent habeas corpus in the High Court.
First 10 minutes: capture
Start a written timeline immediately. Everything you write now is what a lawyer or legal-aid office will act on. Preserve originals of any video or photo already available — do not edit or compress them.
- 1Full name and phone number of the person.
- 2Last verified time and place, and who saw the pickup.
- 3Clothing, vehicle details, police unit or uniforms.
- 4Any video or photo lawfully captured; keep the originals.
- 5Every call you make from here on: name, number, time, answer.
Next: trace
Call 112 — the national emergency number — and the likely local police station. Ask for the SHO or the duty officer. Ask whether the person is there, which provision is being used, the arrest or detention time, and the next place of movement. Note every answer and every refusal. Note that 112 is an emergency number, not a detention database; it cannot tell you where someone is held, but it creates a record and a route to escalate.
Legal aid
Call NALSA's free legal-aid helpline 15100. In Delhi, the DSLSA helpline 1516 is a 24x7 toll-free line. Ask for immediate legal assistance, help tracing the station or detention centre, and a lawyer who can meet the person. Women, children and persons in custody are among the eligible categories; local income rules may also apply.
If police do not disclose the location
Section 48 of the BNSS requires prompt information to the nominee and a station-book entry recording who was informed. Section 37 requires arrest information systems at the district level. A lawyer can demand compliance with both and consider habeas corpus if the location or authority stays hidden.
The habeas route
A habeas corpus petition normally goes to the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution where the detention occurred; the Supreme Court route under Article 32 also exists. The court can require production of the person and justification of the custody. Urgent mentioning may produce a same-day or next-morning hearing, but timing is never guaranteed.
This is a description of the public process, not legal advice. For advice about your own case, speak to a lawyer or the police station handling it. Keep one family emergency sheet with the last-seen details, station calls and the lawyer's contact.