Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Friday said that no petition has been filed seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention in the alleged police excesses during the July 20 crackdown on student protesters in the national capital, criticizing what he called “reckless” reports that the court had refused to include such an issue.
The case came up before a bench headed by the ICC when senior advocate Shoaib Alam mentioned an unrelated matter arising from the Bombay High Court ruling and requested an urgent hearing.
Referring to the controversy over reports that the Supreme Court had refused to hear a petition over the action taken by the police on July 20, the ICJ said the registry had verified the records and found that no writ petition had been filed. “It has recently happened that nothing has been submitted and the matter has been mentioned before us… I have checked the record, not a single page has been submitted to the Supreme Court,” the ICJ said.
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He added that what reached the court was nothing but a representation. “It was one representation… sent by Mishra or someone. How can I treat the representation as a writ petition? People have started reporting this recklessly,” said the CJI, who heads a bench that also includes Justices Joymalia Bagchi and V Mohana.
Expressing concern over the report, the CJI said: “In the last two days, a completely false statement has been made about filing a case and the media is completely devoid of all responsibility, recklessly spreading false reports that the Chief Justice has refused to list the matter. Till the morning of the 10th, not a single page has been filed.”
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These observations came two days after the Supreme Court refused to entertain an oral request by advocate Narendra Mishra seeking suo motu cognizance of alleged police brutality during the Parliament rally on July 20.
At the hearing on Wednesday, Mishra referred to a petition addressed to the ICJ and urged the court to examine videos that allegedly show police assaulting protesters.
The court rejected the request, and the International Court of Justice asked the lawyer not to “waste” the court’s time. “We are not interested in videos, we have no time to watch,” the bench observed while denying urgent listing.
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Later the same day, the Delhi High Court ordered authorities to retain CCTV footage, video and other records related to police actions, while seeking responses from the Center and Delhi Police on petitions challenging the crackdown. The case is scheduled to be heard on September 11.
The CJI’s remarks on Friday came even after activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike after receiving assurances from the Centre. A delegation from the Sarwar Janata Party, which is leading the agitation over alleged exam paper leaks and education reforms, is scheduled to hold talks with Union ministers later on Friday. Protest organizers said unrest would continue despite Wangchuk ending his fast.
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The CJP called for a parliamentary march on July 20 after weeks of protests and hunger strikes in Jantar Mantar. Thousands of protesters tried to march towards Parliament to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged leaks in examination papers and reforms in the examination system.
As protesters tried to break through multiple layers of barricades in central Delhi, police used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd. Videos circulating on social media showed several protesters being beaten, while Delhi Police confirmed that force became necessary after demonstrators turned violent and resorted to stone-throwing.
Wangchuk called off his fast after Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh conveyed the Centre’s assurances, including that no legal action would be taken against peaceful protesters and discussion of issues related to vetting and accountability reforms. CJP leaders stressed that the movement will continue until their broader demands, including the resignation of the education minister, are addressed.
