On Friday, the Supreme Court of India agreed to schedule a hearing on July 27 regarding allegations of police misconduct against students demonstrating at Jantar Mantar. This decision was made after the issue was brought before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan presented the matter, emphasizing the urgency of the situation by explaining that a petition had been filed and a diary number had already been assigned. “We have submitted a plea concerning the student protests. A diary number has been generated. There is urgency. Police actions are adversely affecting students. Intervention is necessary; the Court must step in,” Sankaranarayanan urged the bench.
Responding to the submission, CJI Surya Kant remarked, “We will hear the matter on Monday.”
The demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, a notable site for public protests in Delhi, commenced last month. They were organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in response to repeated national exam paper leaks. The protestors are also demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan.
The protests gained further traction following the involvement of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who initiated a hunger strike in support of the students. Wangchuk was subsequently removed from the protest site by Delhi police due to concerns over his deteriorating health. He ended his hunger strike, which lasted 26 days, at Medanta Hospital on July 23.
More Read
The protest intensified with calls for a “Sansad Chalo” march to Parliament on July 20, despite police warnings that no permission had been granted for such a march. The same day saw large gatherings of protestors and subsequent reports of violent confrontations, including alleged lathi charges, the deployment of tear gas, and other aggressive measures by the police against the students.
A related petition concerning police actions during these protests is also under consideration by the Delhi High Court, which has requested a response from the government on the issue.
