Supreme Court halts illegal detentions, orders restoration of metro and internet services

Following recent mass detentions and restrictions imposed on civil rights in Delhi, the Supreme Court held an extraordinary and exceptional Sunday hearing. A special bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana has ordered the central government and Delhi Police to immediately stop illegal detentions. The court clarified that the movement of people, metro, and rail services should continue normally, although this order will be subject to 'law and order'. These proceedings took place at a time when senior lawyers compared the situation in Delhi to the 1975 Emergency.

Advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi filed a petition in this matter, seeking contempt proceedings against Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Chairperson D. Thara. The petitioner alleges that the officials have violated the Supreme Court's October 9 order, which prohibited a complete ban on the movement of metro trains. The court has issued notices to all these officials.

During the hearing, the court directed the police to review the barricades placed on public roads and not to cause any disruption to internet connectivity. Furthermore, it has been asked to remove the restrictions imposed under Section 163 of the BNSS around the Supreme Court and other courts, so that litigants and lawyers can reach the court to seek justice. Justice Bagchi emphasized that no one will be detained without legal process outside the 4 km restricted area of Central Delhi. He added that people should be allowed to gather peacefully in designated areas like Jantar Mantar, and journalists and lawyers should not be stopped from performing their professional duties.

Due to the large crowd during the court proceedings, the courtroom had to be changed at the last minute, and there were also technical glitches in the video conferencing link. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal thanked the court, to which Justice Bagchi replied that the judiciary is always ready to serve the country. He expressed serious concern over the violation of rules by the police and security forces on October 10. Lawyers stated that thousands of people, including students, senior citizens, journalists, and activists, were detained. These people had gathered to protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, which started due to the controversy over the deletion of names of lakhs of voters from the electoral rolls across the country.

The Supreme Court is India's highest judicial body, acting as the guardian of the Constitution. This court is responsible for protecting fundamental rights and upholding the rule of law. In several previous landmark judgments, the court has ruled in favor of personal liberty and civil rights, including cases of illegal detention and freedom of expression. This role of the court is considered extremely important for safeguarding democratic values.