Commuters wait outside the closed Mandi House Metro station on Wednesday. (Tashi Tobgyal)Chaos unfolded across Metro stations in Central Delhi as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) shut down passenger access to 16 key stations surrounding Jantar Mantar — leaving thousands of daily commuters stranded.Just over an hour after the announcement, Central Secretariat Metro station saw a sprawling crowd of bewildered and frustrated passengers pressed against the closed exit turnstiles. Many chanted slogans like “Modi teri tanashahi nahi chalegi”.Announcements played on loop at stations — which saw heavy deployment of security personnel — to inform the swelling crowd that while interchange facilities were open, all entry and exit gates had been shut until further notice.Also Read | Future of youth beyond politics, says PM Modi, calls for ‘foolproof’ examsThe disruption thus turned a regular journey, for thousands of commuters, into an ordeal.“It was a regular Wednesday … I was headed towards Central Secretariat station. The notification about the station being shut arrived too late for me to prepare for alternative modes of commute,” said Aastha (25), a clinical psychology trainee.“We got drained while trying to find a way to get home safely. There were also inconsistent updates through word of mouth about arbitrary opening and closing of stations throughout the day. On top of this, there were road closures when we left the office in the evening during peak-hour traffic. Cab fares had risen multifold and we were left with no option but to walk long distances to find alternative ways to travel,” she added.Also Read | Unease in BJP, allies over crackdown on protesters as government signals outreachAt the Central Secretariat station, an 18-year-old girl was arguing with police officers. “Sir ghar pe emergency hai. Ab mai kaise jaayun? Mujhe Delhi ke raaste nahi pata zyaada (Sir there is an emergency at home. How will I go now? I don’t know Delhi roads well enough)”.Story continues below this adVikas Kumar (30), who had taken a day off work for some personal work was “frustrated”. He couldn’t finish his work due to the delay caused by the stations being shut down.“I had to go to the IGNOU office to get a migration certificate. I took a leave from work. How do I go now? I don’t know why they have closed so many stations,” he said.Also Read | How Modi faces his first broad-based protest ever — not one by specific interest groups“The office closes at 5 pm. If I go to any other metro station in an autorickshaw, the driver will overcharge. This measure seems too stringent,” he added.Kumar works in a hospital and is currently preparing for the UPPSC. He says paper leaks are “very common” in India. “There have been so many paper leaks. This frustrates those who have been working hard for years.”Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey. 2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... 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