The Delhi High Court has sought details of related petitions pending before the Supreme Court while hearing pleas on the right to hold peaceful protests at Jantar Mantar, alleged assaults on protesters and preservation of CCTV footage in Delhi.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma posted the petition seeking directions to authorities to permit peaceful protests at Jantar Mantar for hearing on October 16. The plea also seeks recognition of the right to peaceful protest as part of free speech and asks the authorities to earmark different locations in the city for agitations.
The court sought a copy of the petition pending before the Supreme Court after being informed that the top court had deferred hearing on related protest petitions until October 15. “We want to have a look…We don’t want to pass contradictory orders,” the bench said, according to the report.
The High Court also dealt with a public interest litigation filed by National Students’ Union of India president Vinod Jakhar, which seeks a “fair, independent and time-bound probe” into a series of alleged assaults on protesters on October 10. The petition claims that videos show people described as ‘anti-social elements’ in civilian clothes manhandling and beating peaceful protesters.
Jakhar’s plea also seeks the preservation of relevant CCTV footage while the proceedings continue. The Union government objected to the maintainability of the petition, arguing that Jakhar had not provided complete information about his organisation as required under the rules governing public interest litigation. The court allowed the Centre three weeks to file its preliminary objections, with the matter adjourned to November.
The separate petition filed by Anshikha Tripathi has raised concern over the alleged house arrest of several people and seeks protection for peaceful agitators protesting in and around Jantar Mantar. Counsel appearing for Tripathi referred to a “grave concern” over the number of people who were allegedly placed under house arrest.
The proceedings place Jantar Mantar’s role as a designated protest space within a wider question of how public authorities regulate demonstrations in the capital. The petitions before the High Court and Supreme Court overlap on aspects of protest permissions and restrictions, making the next hearings important for determining how the courts address potentially conflicting proceedings.
The High Court is scheduled to hear the petition on peaceful protests on October 16. The Supreme Court is expected to take up the related protest petitions on October 15, while the Centre has three weeks to submit its preliminary objections to Jakhar’s plea.
