Supreme Court Intervenes: Ensures Peaceful Gatherings Are Not Disrupted in Delhi

The Supreme Court of India has intervened to protect the rights of individuals participating in peaceful protests, ensuring they are not unlawfully detained. This decision follows a plea regarding disruptions to metro services during recent protests organized by the CJP against the Chief Election Commissioner. The court has mandated that metro operations resume as normal and that internet services remain uninterrupted, while also addressing concerns about the treatment of journalists and lawyers during these events. The ruling highlights the importance of maintaining civil liberties amidst political demonstrations.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 11, 2026, 13:27 IST

Supreme Court's Directive on Peaceful Protests

New Delhi: On Sunday, the Supreme Court mandated that individuals participating in peaceful assemblies should not face unlawful detention. This ruling came as the court issued a notice to the central government regarding a plea that sought contempt proceedings for purportedly breaching the court's directive to prevent a 'complete prohibition' on metro and train services in Delhi amid the CJP protest.

During a special session, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure that the Delhi Metro operates according to its regular timetable and that internet services remain uninterrupted, provided law and order is maintained.

"Given the urgent applications claiming violations of our previous order dated October 9, 2026, and the alleged unlawful detention of numerous individuals in Delhi on October 10, 2026, this court convened for an urgent hearing," the bench stated.

Senior counsels argued that there was a blatant disregard for the court's orders, noting that metro services were halted, New Delhi and Nizamuddin railway stations were closed, no traffic advisories were issued, and many individuals faced undue harassment and illegal detention beyond the areas covered by the prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.

The apex court also directed Mehta to ensure that lawyers, journalists, and others are not obstructed in performing their professional responsibilities.

During the proceedings, Mehta reported that access was restricted at only 45 out of 303 metro stations on October 10.

As the hearing began, the Supreme Court indicated it would allow all lawyers to present their arguments concerning the plea for contempt proceedings against authorities for the alleged flagrant violation of the court's directives.

Additionally, the court was addressing a habeas corpus petition filed by senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy regarding the detention of political figures.

The contempt petition, submitted by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, named Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chairperson D Thara as respondents.

This petition referenced the Supreme Court's October 9 order, which was issued while considering a separate plea against the closure of 57 metro stations and the cancellation of trains to Delhi due to the protest.

The protest was organized by the CJP and various student organizations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing alleged irregularities in the Election Commission's operations.

The government had previously disrupted a planned mass mobilization at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, implementing an unprecedented security lockdown and detaining over 7,000 protesters, including CJP leader Abhijit Dipke, several opposition figures, and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.