Supreme Court Declares Protester Detentions Illegal Amid Delhi Clampdown

The Supreme Court of India declared several hundred detentions of protesters illegal on October 12, following a massive security clampdown in New Delhi. The unrest began on October 10 during demonstrations organized by the Cockroach Janata Party and other opposition groups demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll irregularities.

To thwart the mobilization at Jantar Mantar, the government deployed 40,000 security personnel and detained approximately 7,000 people, including CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and several former chief ministers. Authorities also implemented sweeping restrictions, including the closure of up to 57 metro stations, the cancellation of 245 train services, and internet shutdowns. These actions prompted a series of legal challenges, as the court had issued a directive on October 9 prohibiting a complete ban on public transport.

In a rare special Sunday sitting on October 11, the court ordered the immediate restoration of metro, rail, and internet services. It further barred the illegal detention of peaceful protesters and issued an interim order protecting lawyers and journalists from professional obstruction after reports that legal professionals were brutalized by the Delhi Police. The court issued contempt notices to Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, and DMRC Chairperson D Thara for allegedly willfully disobeying judicial mandates.

The situation escalated on October 12 as Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and other Congress leaders marched to the court to protest the alleged removal of 13 crore voters from electoral rolls. Meanwhile, bar associations across India condemned the assault of lawyers, with the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association petitioning for an independent inquiry into police conduct.