A contempt petition has been filed in the Supreme Court over the continued shutdown of transit services in Delhi, with the petitioner alleging that blanket restrictions and train cancellations have violated the court’s October 9 direction to avoid hardship to ordinary commuters during protests planned for October 10.
Supreme Court advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, who filed the petition on October 9, has sought contempt proceedings against Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Chairperson D. Thara. The petition alleges wilful non-compliance with the court’s directions.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had announced that entry and exit gates at 57 stations would remain closed from 9 p.m. on October 9 until further notice, citing security reasons. The restrictions were imposed ahead of protests seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to the petition, authorities maintained a “blanket shutdown across transit corridors”, continued train cancellations and did not issue or publicise transparent traffic and transit advisories. It alleges that the restrictions severely disrupted public life across the National Capital Territory and stranded essential travellers.
The petition refers to the Supreme Court’s October 9 order, which recorded the assurance of the Solicitor General of India and stated that there should be no outright prohibition on the movement of Metro trains or essential railway transit. The court had directed authorities to adopt proportionate regulation instead of a blanket prohibition to prevent harassment or inconvenience to citizens.
The petitioner has also stated that any regulatory framework and traffic advisory should have been widely published through print and digital media immediately. The court’s order sought compliance reports from the authorities within four days. The contempt plea now places the continuation of the transit restrictions before the court for consideration.
