The Supreme Court moved to reinforce constitutional principles protecting individuals gathered in peaceful assembly from arbitrary detention. The statement arose during a Sunday hearing convened to examine whether earlier court orders on public transport and access had been followed amid the CJP protest.
During the specially convened session, the bench directed the Centre to file its reply to a petition seeking initiation of contempt proceedings over an alleged violation of its prior order. The directive ruled out any blanket suspension of metro and train operations across Delhi, with the active protests factored into that determination.
The two-judge panel of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana called on Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to confirm that Delhi Metro services would run on their usual timetable, adding that internet connectivity should likewise remain undisturbed so long as public order was maintained. The bench held that practitioners such as lawyers and journalists are entitled to unimpeded access to carry out their work.
The bench convened on an expedited basis following petitions alleging that authorities had unlawfully held an unspecified number of people in the wake of the October 10, 2026 demonstrations — conduct said to contravene a court order issued the day before. At the hearing, lawyers put forward questions about whether the court's prior orders had actually been followed, pointing to a series of operational shortcomings — metro lines no longer in service, closed railway stations, and an absence of traffic management — that left attendees contending with delays and practical difficulties without organised support.
When the allegations were put to him, Mehta clarified that movement restrictions on 10 October had been limited to entry and exit points at 45 of the network's 303 metro stations. The bench indicated it would hear submissions from all legal representatives tied to the contempt petition — a plea alleging that various authorities had breached its earlier directives.
A rally of notable scale, convened under the CJP's banner and drawing the backing of student organisations, directed its demands at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as the broader situation unfolded. Allegations of procedural misconduct within the Election Commission drew crowds onto the streets in demonstration.
Amid mounting civil unrest, authorities placed a ban on a large-scale gathering planned for Jantar Mantar, an action that led to more than 7,000 people being taken into custody. Those detained included a number of well-known individuals, among them Abhijit Dipke of the CJP, various opposition politicians, and the YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.
Hearings before the Supreme Court on Sunday centred on arguments that the steps taken by the authorities had gone beyond what the court's earlier directives had authorised in order to keep movement and access open during the protest period.
