The Supreme Court refuses to hear a petition regarding police abuses
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to initiate suo motu and expeditiously list a petition alleging police excesses during the July 20 police action against student protesters in the national capital, with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant asking the petitioner not to “waste” the court’s time by filing videos and instead resort to appropriate law.
The matter was mentioned before a judicial body, headed by the International Commission of Justice, at the beginning of the proceedings.
Seeking suo motu proceedings, advocate Narendra Mishra said the case relates to the Delhi Police’s action against thousands of students who tried to march towards Parliament as part of the ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged leaks of examination papers and reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA). In a petition letter to the ICC, he urged the court to examine video footage of events that allegedly show protesters being beaten with lathis and other forms of brutality, calling for an impartial investigation.
“Don’t waste our time, don’t waste yours,” the CJI told the lawyer.
The lawyer tried to convince the court by saying that the protests focused on issues affecting thousands of students. The bench, which also included Justices Joymalia Bagchi and V Mohana, responded briefly: “Thank you very much.”
When the lawyer referred to videos that allegedly showed police assaulting unarmed protesters and offered to provide these videos, the ICJ refused to accept the request.
“We are not interested in videos, we do not have time to watch,” the bench noted, refusing to grant an urgent list.
The Supreme Court’s rejection came a day after Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya similarly refused to urgently hear a plea on the police action. The President of the Supreme Court said: “Do not drag the court into this matter,” refusing urgent consideration of the matter.
In a hearing on Wednesday, a bench comprising Chief Justice Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed the authorities to preserve CCTV footage, video and all other relevant records related to the matter. It also sought responses from the Center and Delhi Police.
The case was referred for hearing on September 11.
The July 20 Chalo Sansad march, organized by the CJP after three weeks of protests and hunger strike in Jantar Mantar, saw thousands of demonstrators attempt to walk from the protest site towards Parliament.
As protesters attempted to move through central Delhi, Delhi Police stopped the march using multiple layers of barricades. When a large group broke through the barriers and advanced, security personnel fired tear gas canisters and used an explosive device to disperse the crowd.
Videos that appeared on social media showed several protesters, many of whom appeared unarmed, being beaten by police wearing riot gear, with some suffering head injuries. However, police confirmed that the crowd turned violent and claimed that protesters pelted stones at security personnel, necessitating the use of force.
Hospital officials told Hindustan Times that at least 100 protesters were treated for their injuries following the crackdown, while Delhi Police put the number of injured at around 60. A 22-year-old woman who was injured during police action remains in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, according to her family.
The police action sparked a political firestorm, with opposition MPs holding demonstrations inside and outside Parliament, and then staging a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, after claiming the government showed no interest in allowing the issue to be discussed in Parliament. The protesters were subsequently arrested by Delhi Police.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has since called on Prime Minister Modi to apologize to the students who were subjected to the police crackdown and reiterated the opposition’s demand for the resignation of Pradhan and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Meanwhile, the CJP on Wednesday expanded its list of demands as its agitation entered the 32nd day. Apart from seeking the release of Sonam Wangchuk, Pradhan W $1 crore compensation to the families of the students who allegedly died due to suicide, and the party is now demanding that no FIR be registered and no legal action be taken against those who participated in the July 20 protest.
