A restaurant owner in Connaught Place has approached the Delhi High Court seeking compensation for business losses allegedly caused by protests in central Delhi, while the court has directed that the petition be listed with related pleas.
The petition was mentioned before a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin Vasudev Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma on Friday. The bench directed that it be listed alongside other petitions connected with the matter.
According to the petition, Ayush Chopra operates the Minar restaurant near Central Park in Connaught Place and has run the establishment since July 1, 2017. He has sought directions for an assessment of losses suffered by him and other affected businesses during a protest on October 10, 2026, and has asked that compensation be recovered from those responsible.
The petitioner has also sought directions to prevent police from permitting or allowing similar assemblies at the location. The plea argues that repeated gatherings in and around Connaught Place adversely affect traders and infringe their rights under Articles 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution.
The petition states that shops in Connaught Place remained closed on October 10 after a programme was held at Jantar Mantar despite permission not being granted, according to the account cited in the report. It cites the New Delhi Traders Association as estimating that Connaught Place suffered an impact of Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore that day. The Chamber of Trade and Industry is cited as estimating the wider effect across Delhi at around Rs 2,000 crore.
The figures are claims made in the petition and attributed statements cited by the report; the court has not, at this stage, determined the amount of loss or ordered compensation. The plea relies on the argument that the Supreme Court has recognised the power of a high court to create a mechanism for assessing damage caused by protests.
The dispute has widened beyond a single restaurant. Trader organisations have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Justice of India Suryakant, seeking a solution to recurring demonstrations, road blockades and traffic restrictions in Delhi. The Indian Industry Trade Board has asked that political demonstrations in the city be suspended until January 31, 2027, citing the festival and wedding season.
The traders have said that the closure of metro stations, traffic diversions and road blockades disrupt access to markets and the movement of goods. Customers travelling daily from Sonipat, Gurugram and Noida are also affected, according to the organisation. Its representatives Hemant Gupta, Rakesh Yadav and Pradeep Gupta have estimated daily business losses in Delhi at approximately Rs 250 crore during such disruptions.
The traders’ concerns also extend to workers and service providers. They have said that reduced sales affect the ability of businesses to meet wage payments, transport costs and rent obligations. The court’s next consideration of the petition alongside related cases will determine how the compensation and regulation issues proceed.
