Supreme Court Denies Urgent Hearing on Police Action During Protest
Supreme Court's Stance on Protester Treatment
Delhi Police detaining protesters attempting to push through security barricades in a bid to reach Jantar Mantar to join the CJP's march on Monday (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi, July 22: Following the Delhi High Court's refusal to urgently address a petition regarding the alleged excessive force used by Delhi Police against protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) "Sansad Chalo" march, the Supreme Court also declined to hear a similar plea on an urgent basis.
The case was brought before a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohan.
The petitioner's lawyer requested an immediate hearing, stating, "I have videos documenting police brutality. If it can be listed for tomorrow (Thursday)... students are involved."
The lawyer claimed that students faced police violence during the protest and noted that the petition included three main requests.
However, the CJI rejected the request, indicating that the bench was not interested in reviewing video evidence at this stage.
"We are not interested in videos. We don't have time to watch... We don't want to watch videos," the CJI stated.
When the lawyer reiterated the claims of student injuries and mentioned the video footage again, the CJI responded, "Don't waste our time. We don't want to watch any videos."
Details of the Protest and Police Response
The petition pertains to the police response during the CJP's "Sansad Chalo" march to Parliament on Monday, coinciding with the start of the Monsoon Session. Thousands of students and young activists gathered in central Delhi, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan due to alleged examination irregularities.
The protest escalated into violence as clashes erupted between demonstrators and law enforcement. Police employed batons and tear gas to disperse those attempting to advance towards Parliament.
According to the Delhi police, approximately 60 protesters were injured during the confrontations. The police also reported that over 118 officers, including several senior officials, sustained injuries while managing the situation.
Authorities stated that around 70 protesters were detained after the clashes erupted when demonstrators allegedly tried to march towards Parliament despite existing prohibitory orders.