Supreme Court to Hear Cases on Delhi Protests and Internet Shutdown

The Supreme Court will hear various petitions today, Tuesday, related to the protests held on October 10 at Connaught Place in Delhi. These protests were organized to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and to oppose changes made to the voter list during SIR. According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, an important hearing is expected in the Supreme Court regarding police action and the shutdown of internet services in this matter.

A bench presided over by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant will hear these petitions. The petitions raise serious issues such as police atrocities, illegal detention of individuals, and restrictions on movement and protests in public places. Additionally, allegations have been made regarding the assault of journalists and lawyers, the shutdown of internet services, and the violation of previous court orders. More than 7,000 protesters who joined the protest in Delhi on October 10 were taken into custody by the police.

Earlier, on October 15, the Supreme Court had issued notices to the Central Government and the Delhi Police in this matter. The court also gave clear directions to secure CCTV footage and digital evidence from the site. The Supreme Court had further instructed that petitions with similar issues be divided into different categories and responses be filed accordingly.

The history of previous hearings in this case is also significant. On October 9, the Supreme Court reprimanded the government over the strict action taken during the protests by the Cockroach Janata Party. At that time, CJI Surya Kant stated that while some things must be stopped, only the necessary amount of action should be taken to stop them. He further added that this does not mean using a hammer to kill a fly.

Subsequently, on October 11, the Supreme Court heard petitions related to the shutdown of Metro and train services, internet disruptions, and the detention of people during the Cockroach Janata Party protests. At that time, the court clarified that Metro services should operate normally, there should be no disruption in the internet, and the movement of people should not be obstructed.

During the hearing on October 15, CJI Surya Kant made a significant statement. He said that no person can pressure the Supreme Court through intimidation and all such attempts are futile. He further stated that the court is aware of everything happening both outside and inside and does not live in a fictional world. During this, without naming Rahul Gandhi, he mentioned that questions would be raised regarding the conduct of one of the petitioners and they would have to provide a clarification on the matter.

The protests held on October 10 in Delhi primarily questioned the position of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and people took to the streets to oppose changes in the voter list. The police action and the ban on internet services in this entire incident have raised legal questions, which will be heard in detail in the Supreme Court today.