Delhi HC calls Jantar Mantar protest incident 'not isolated,' seeks SIT probe

The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the central government and Delhi Police concerning allegations of excessive force against student protesters at Jantar Mantar. Hearing two petitions seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, a bench led by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya stated that the incident appeared to be "not isolated."

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Is it a case of some isolated individual incident? Perhaps no. This is one. Number two, if it was an unlawful assembly as you say, it’s subject to further arguments and subject to further submissions. There is a law how to deal with it. If these issues are being raised in the PIL, how can you say that every individual should go and lodge an FIR.

The court directed the police to preserve all relevant records, including CCTV footage and videography, related to the alleged excesses. The petitions, filed by lawyers Umesh Kumar and Anshul Kumar, are scheduled for further hearing on September 11. The court questioned the police's stance that individuals should file separate FIRs if they believed an unlawful assembly occurred, emphasizing the law's procedures for handling such situations.

Senior advocates representing the petitioners argued that the protest was peaceful but met with disproportionate force. They alleged that protesters were assaulted with nail-studded batons, pellet weapons, and electric batons without warning, resulting in over 90 injuries and alleged molestation of women. The lawyers also sought deployment records and orders authorizing the use of force, along with the identification and prosecution of officers involved.

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Issue notice. In the meantime, we direct that the relevant record, including the CCTV footage, videography, if any shall be preserved.

Conversely, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the police, dismissed the petitions as "publicity seeking." They contended that the agitation was not peaceful and presented videos showing injuries to police personnel and damage to police vehicles. The petitions were filed following a July 20 "Chalo Sansad" march organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) after a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, protesting alleged irregularities in the NEET exam.

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The petitions were filed in the backdrop of the July 20 “Chalo Sansad” march, organised by the CJP after a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.