The Delhi High Court will hear petitions on Tuesday challenging the reported closure of Jantar Mantar as a venue for protests, with lawyers arguing that the restrictions are affecting the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression in the capital.
A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin Vasudev Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma agreed to hear the matter after it was mentioned before the court on Monday. The petitions concern the reported closure of Jantar Mantar, a designated protest location in central Delhi, and the absence of an alternative site for peaceful demonstrations, according to arguments recorded in the report.
One lawyer told the bench that authorities had not designated another location for peaceful protests. The lawyer alleged that the closure was suppressing such demonstrations and said the issue had a wider impact on constitutional freedoms. The lawyer also described the situation as a serious setback and referred to the restrictions imposed during 1975.
The court also agreed to hear another petition linked to recent demonstrations. According to the report, the petition alleges that outsiders entered a protest held over the weekend and harassed demonstrators. The matter is expected to be considered alongside the petition concerning the protest venue.
The hearing follows demonstrations called by the party identified in the report as the Cockroach Janata Party over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Hundreds of people took to the streets on October 10 and 11, according to the report. The demonstrations were directed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The dispute places the administration of designated protest spaces at the centre of the court proceedings. For residents and organisations seeking to hold public demonstrations, the availability of an officially recognised venue determines where assemblies can take place and how they are managed. The petitioners have argued that removing Jantar Mantar without providing an alternative effectively restricts peaceful protests.
The bench noted that the Supreme Court is also considering the issue and has sought affidavits from the Centre. When the lawyer requested an urgent hearing on Monday, the High Court said it would need to consider the extent to which it could examine a matter already before the Supreme Court.
The High Court’s hearing will therefore address both the petitions placed before it and the limits of parallel consideration while the Supreme Court examines the broader dispute. The report does not indicate that the High Court has issued a final order on the closure or directed the immediate reopening of Jantar Mantar. The next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
