Venture capitalist Tehseen Poonawala says Delhi police placed him under house arrest for planned E20 protest

Tehseen Poonawala, a venture capitalist and political analyst, said he would begin a solo march to Gandhi Smriti on August 1, followed by a silent fast and a hunger strike to protest the compulsory E20 ethanol fuel policy. On Saturday he posted videos on X showing a large contingent of Delhi Police, including women officers, positioned at his home in GK1 and asserting that he was under house arrest. In the footage he repeatedly asked the officer inside for a written order, receiving only a warning that his planned protest could spark law-and-order concerns.

Poonawala alleged that the police acted on orders from higher authorities, disrupted internet connectivity, and that the move was intended to silence his criticism of the ethanol scheme, which he says benefits sugar and distillery interests. He also accused Union minister Nitin Gadkari of being scared of ethanol reforms. The Delhi Police have not issued a comment on the claims.