NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Sunday directed authorities to ensure that people gathering peacefully are not illegally detained and that metro and railway services function normally. The court’s directive came a day after Centre’s crackdown on CJP’s proposed protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.The court issued notice to the Centre on a plea seeking contempt proceedings against authorities for allegedly violating its earlier directions on transport restrictions during the protest.“In view of the urgent applications alleging violation of our earlier order dt. October 9, 2026, and also alleging illegal detention of large number of individuals at Delhi on October 10, 2026 this court had assembled for an urgent hearing,” a bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said during a special sitting.“Senior counsels submitted there was a flagrant violation of the directions — metro railway was not functioning, New Delhi and Nizamuddin railway stations remained closed, no traffic advisories were issued and a large number of persons were subjected to undue harassment and illegal detention even beyond the area which was covered by the prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023,” the bench said.The Supreme Court asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure that the Delhi Metro operated according to its normal schedule and that internet services were not disrupted, subject to law and order conditions. It also directed that lawyers, journalists and others should not be impeded from discharging their professional duties.Mehta, appearing for the Centre, defended the authorities’ action and submitted that entry and exit had been restricted at only 45 of the 303 stations across the Delhi Metro network on October 10.The court was also hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy concerning the detention of political leaders. It said it would grant a hearing to all lawyers involved in the matter.
What the Supreme Court said
- No illegal detention: Authorities must ensure that people gathering peacefully are not illegally detained.
- Normal metro operations: The Centre was asked to ensure that
Delhi Metro services function according to their normal schedule. - Internet services: There should be no disruption to internet services, subject to law and order conditions.
- Professional duties: Lawyers, journalists and others must not be impeded from discharging their professional duties.
- Contempt proceedings: The court issued notice to the Centre on a plea alleging violation of its earlier directions.
What is the contempt plea about
The contempt petition, filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, names Union home secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chairperson D Thara as respondents.The plea refers to the Supreme Court’s October 9 order, passed while hearing a separate petition challenging the closure of 57 metro stations and the cancellation of trains to Delhi in view of the proposed protest. The latest applications alleged that the restrictions and detentions on October 10 violated the court’s directions.
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The court’s intervention followed the CJP’s call for a mass mobilisation at Jantar Mantar, alongside student organisations, demanding action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission.The government thwarted the planned demonstration through an extensive security crackdown across the national capital. More than 7,000 protesters were detained, including CJP leader Abhijit Dipke, several opposition leaders and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.
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