NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Sunday directed authorities to ensure that no illegal detention takes place of people “peacefully assembling” amid the crackdown on the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.It also ordered metro and railway services to function normally, internet facilities to remain “undisturbed as per law”, and the “free movement of people and traffic” to be permitted.The top court issued notice to the Centre on a plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against authorities for allegedly violating its directions during the crackdown. “Will grant hearing to all lawyers, not here to trivialise what happened,” the Supreme Court said while hearing the pleas.It also said lawyers must not be impeded from discharging their professional duties.Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the government, defended the authorities’ action and told the court that entry and exit had been restricted at only 45 of the 303 stations across the Delhi Metro network on October 10.
Share your thoughts in the comments
Be respectful · TOI community guidelines
The directions came amid a legal challenge to the security restrictions imposed ahead of the CJP’s proposed ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ demonstration, which sought the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over SIR of electoral rolls.The proposed protest was majorly curtailed following an extensive security crackdown across the national capital. More than 1,500 people were detained, including several political leaders, triggering allegations of unlawful detention and violations of court directions.