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A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia issued notices to the respondents, granting them four weeks to file their replies. The matter will now be heard on September 11
The direction came after senior advocates N Hariharan, Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioners, alleged that police resorted to disproportionate force against peaceful protesters exercising their constitutional right to assemble.
Hariharan told the court that the protest at Jantar Mantar had remained peaceful before police allegedly used lathis, pellets and electric batons against demonstrators, leaving more than 90 students injured. He claimed the protesters were neither asked to disperse nor was any lawful proclamation made before force was used.
Seeking preservation of CCTV footage, PCR logs, videography and records relating to the use of tear gas and batons, Hariharan urged the court to order an independent probe, saying the Delhi Police could not investigate allegations against its own personnel. He also alleged that videos showed women protesters being assaulted by policemen and sought registration of FIRs against the officers involved.
Fresh clashes were reported near Sansad Marg on Wednesday as protesting students and Delhi Police personnel faced off during demonstrations.
Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd after tensions escalated, while Internet services were suspended in the area.
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Volunteers carrying first-aid kits and water bottles moved through the crowd, while new groups of protesters continued to enter the protest site with flags draped over their shoulders and banners tucked under their arms.
“We have been receiving people since early morning, and they are still coming,” said Gurpreet Singh, a volunteer helping manage one of the entry points.
By evening, there was little to no empty space around and outside the main protest area as fresh arrivals continued to join those already gathered. —with PTI
At least two assistant commissioners of police (ACPs) and four personnel were injured in a stone-pelting incident by protesters near Jantar Mantar on Wednesday evening, police sources said. They said that many “anti-social” elements have entered the protest site.
Ahmedabad: More than 100 people, mostly youngsters, were detained in Ahmedabad on Wednesday evening for protesting without police permission outside the Gujarat University demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in exams. A large crowd of youngsters, including a significant number of college students, gathered outside the Gujarat University and raised slogans against the Central government. “More than 100 protesters were detained as they didn’t have police permission to stage a demonstration,” said Additional Commissioner of Police, Neeraj Kumar Badgujar. PTI
The Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) on Wednesday criticised the Delhi University administration’s statement on social media regarding recent student protests, alleging that the varsity had failed to acknowledge the violence faced by students, choosing instead to discredit the movement. PTI
New Delhi: The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has asked varsities and higher education institutions (HEIs) across the country to counsel students to remain focused on their studies and discourage them from participating in protests over recent examination controversies. The AIU said prolonged agitations come “at a considerable cost” to students’ academic progress. In a letter addressed to vice chancellors and directors of member institutions, President Vinay Kumar Pathak urged universities to engage with students “with empathy” while encouraging them to “remain focused on their academic pursuits and not allow their energies to be diverted by calls to protest”. PTI IndiaNews Updates
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Seventeen metro stations that were temporarily shut during the day due to security reasons were reopened, the DMRC said Wednesday evening. "All stations of the Delhi Metro network are now open for passenger services," the DMRC said in a post on X. PTI
Appearing in another PIL, Sankaranarayanan submitted that his team had examined around 130 videos of the incident and claimed several people seen using force were neither in police uniform nor wearing identification badges. Referring to one of the videos, he alleged it showed Additional DCP Sandeep Lamba slapping a woman protester. Citing the Supreme Court’s Ram Lila Maidan judgment, he argued that authorities had failed to follow the prescribed procedure for dispersing a crowd.
Vikas Singh submitted that the march had been announced well in advance and remained peaceful for nearly 20 days, attracting students, doctors and lawyers. He argued that nothing on record suggested the gathering was an unlawful assembly and submitted that the law required police to use only the minimum force necessary while dispersing a crowd.
Opposing the petitions, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju contended that they were based on selective facts and social media videos whose authenticity had not been established. He submitted that the protest had turned violent, with police personnel injured and official vehicles damaged after stones were allegedly hurled at them.
Raju also questioned the maintainability of the PILs, arguing that persons claiming assault had alternative remedies under the criminal law and should pursue those instead of invoking the court’s public interest jurisdiction.
The Bench, however, observed that the allegations were not confined to isolated incidents involving individual victims. It remarked that even if the assembly was unlawful, the law prescribed the manner in which such gatherings had to be dispersed, and questioned whether every affected person could be expected to lodge a separate FIR.
Without commenting on the merits of the allegations, the court directed the authorities to preserve all records, including CCTV footage and videography, in accordance with the applicable standard operating procedures.