New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought formal responses from the Union Government and the Delhi Police regarding Public Interest Litigations (PILs) alleging the use of excessive and disproportionate force against demonstrators during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) July 20 march to Parliament. A division bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed the law enforcement authorities to preserve all electronic records, including CCTV footage, video recordings, and body-camera data connected to the incident.
The bench issued notices to the respondents and granted them four weeks to submit their counter-affidavits detailing the police action and security measures undertaken during the demonstration. “Let a counter affidavit be filed on behalf of the respondents within four weeks,” the bench ordered, emphasizing that all relevant records, including CCTV camera footage and videography, must be preserved strictly in accordance with the established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the Delhi Police and the Ministry of Home Affairs. The High Court posted the matter for detailed hearing on September 11.
Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, senior advocates N. Hariharan, Vikas Singh, and Gopal Sankaranarayanan contended that security forces employed excessive force against peaceful demonstrators, including women and students. The counsel submitted that the protesters were exercising their fundamental rights to assemble peacefully and voice grievances over alleged examination irregularities under NEET. Seeking a comprehensive inquiry into the police action, the lawyers argued that the level of force applied was unwarranted. Opposing the pleas, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the government, argued that the petitions were largely based on social media reports and were not maintainable.
