Petitioners have approached the Supreme Court alleging police excesses during protests in Delhi on October 10, 11 and 12, seeking an independent inquiry, preservation of CCTV and body-camera footage, and the return of phones and other belongings taken during detention.
The petitions concern demonstrations against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and calls for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Lawyers Association for Constitution filed one plea alleging “serious and widespread police excesses” against protesters, citizens, advocates, women, minors and journalists.
According to the petition, several people were detained in areas where Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita had not been promulgated. The petitioners also alleged that some detainees were not informed of the grounds for their detention, that purported police personnel were not wearing name tags, and that many people were denied access to legal counsel.
The allegations include physical assault, abuse, illegal detention and the forcible seizure of mobile phones. The petition further claimed that women were detained after 6 p.m., juveniles were held without their guardians being informed, and passers-by engaged in ordinary activities were also taken into custody. These claims remain allegations before the court.
The petitions also describe significant disruption around the protest locations. The petitioners said mobile Internet services were suspended near Janpath and Kartavya Path, while trains were cancelled, buses diverted, roads closed and metro stations shut. The claims place the police action within a wider public-order response that affected movement through central Delhi and access to key transport corridors.
The petition said at least 37 citizens had initially submitted responses to the Lawyers Association for Constitution, with further accounts continuing to arrive. The documentation began on the evening of October 11, according to advocate Pyoli, who is representing the petitioners.
One account cited in the plea concerns Fidel Tom, an advocate who was detained at Sanjay Colony police station on October 10 after arriving to provide legal aid to detainees. The petition alleged that he was abused in custody and that lawyers seeking to represent him were not allowed into the police station until after midnight on October 11. It also alleged that he was denied access to lawyers and medical attention until the early hours of October 11, when he was taken for a medico-legal examination.
Another incident mentioned in the petition allegedly involved a woman protester near Safdarjung Flyover. The petition said her hand was caught in the wipers of a police van during police action, causing bruising, and that she suffered an abrasion on her left knee. It also alleged sexual assault by a police personnel. The allegations have been placed before the Supreme Court for consideration.
A separate petition filed by the Network of Women in Media, through its representative Laxmi Murthy, alleged repeated unlawful detention, forcible removal, physical assault, manhandling and intimidation of women journalists. It also alleged that police personnel disregarded press credentials while journalists were performing their professional duties.
The petitioners said the alleged conduct violated fundamental rights and Supreme Court safeguards governing arrest and detention. They also argued that peaceful protest is constitutionally protected and that the use of force against peaceful protesters is not justified. At least 15 petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court highlighting alleged assaults on protesters, according to the report. The court’s response and any directions on inquiry, evidence preservation or the return of belongings will determine the next stage of the matter.
