New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday strictly declined an urgent hearing regarding the recent police lathicharge on students protesting at Jantar Mantar. Chief Justice Suryakant dismissed the mention, stating that the top court had no interest in the matter and admonished the counsel for wasting judicial time.
Advocate Narendra Mishra brought the issue before the apex court. He argued that the students were raising critical concerns about the proper conduct of the NEET examination and necessary reforms within the National Testing Agency. The Chief Justice refused to entertain the plea. When the lawyer offered to present videos showcasing alleged police excesses, the Chief Justice declined. He stated that the court was not interested in the case and had no time to watch those videos, telling the lawyer not to waste their time. He then abruptly concluded the exchange by thanking the counsel.
This legal setback follows a similar stance taken by the Delhi High Court. On Tuesday, the High Court refused an immediate hearing and noted that the judiciary should not be unnecessarily dragged into the ongoing protests.
Despite this initial refusal, two Public Interest Litigations concerning the police action against the Jantar Mantar demonstrators were filed in the Delhi High Court. The matter was placed before the bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia for an urgent listing on Wednesday. The legal representative for the petitioners argued that the police action had deeply shaken the conscience of the nation.
These legal battles stem from escalating agitations across central Delhi. Students and activists of the Cockroach Janta Party have been continuously protesting at Jantar Mantar. They are demanding strict accountability over recurrent examination paper leaks and seeking the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The situation turned violent on Monday when demonstrators attempted a march towards the Parliament building. Delhi Police intercepted the crowds, deploying tear gas and resorting to a lathicharge that left multiple protesters injured.
The political ripple effects of the police crackdown have been significant. On Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, along with several Congress party leaders, staged a demonstration outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Authorities detained the political leaders. During the ensuing scuffle, Rahul Gandhi sustained minor injuries. The continuous demonstrations reflect a growing unrest over the integrity of national academic examinations and the subsequent law enforcement response.