The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Central government and the Delhi Police over the Jantar Mantar protest lathi charge that left dozens of student demonstrators injured earlier this week. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed both authorities to preserve all CCTV footage and videography linked to the police action.
What Sparked the Protest
Students and activists associated with the Cockroach Janta Party, an online satirical collective, have spent nearly a month camped at Jantar Mantar. Their core demands include accountability for repeated NEET paper leaks, an overhaul of the National Testing Agency, and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The group’s name itself traces back to remarks made by a senior judge earlier this year about unemployed youth turning to litigation and social media activism.
Tensions escalated on July 20, when protesters attempted to march toward Parliament House. Delhi Police blocked the route, and according to multiple accounts, the confrontation turned violent, with lathis and tear gas deployed against the crowd. Visuals of the clash spread rapidly across social media platforms in the days that followed.
Delhi High Court Directs Preservation of Evidence
Two separate public interest litigations were filed before the Delhi High Court flagging the Jantar Mantar protest lathi charge and seeking accountability from the police. The bench observed that the allegations did not concern an isolated incident, and therefore the petitioners could not simply be directed to file individual complaints with local police stations.
The court ordered the Centre and Delhi Police to file a counter-affidavit within four weeks, with two additional weeks given to petitioners for a rejoinder. It also directed that all relevant records, including CCTV footage, be preserved as per standard police procedure. The matter will be taken up again on September 11.
Allegations Raised in Court
Senior advocates N. Hariharan, Vikas Singh, and Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioners, told the court that more than 90 students had suffered injuries during the crackdown. They alleged that several individuals involved in the police action were not wearing name tags, and that unauthorised equipment, including nail-studded lathis, had been used against the crowd.
The lawyers also raised concerns about the conduct of certain police personnel toward women protesters and urged the court to order an independent inquiry, separate from any internal Delhi Police investigation, into the incident.
Centre’s Response
Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for the Central government, pushed back strongly against the petitions. He argued that protesters had themselves brought a vehicle loaded with stones to the site, and that the pleas relied largely on social media posts rather than verified evidence. Raju further contended that the petitions were not maintainable before the High Court under Article 226 and should instead have been pursued through complaints to a magistrate.
A Parallel Development at the Supreme Court
Separately, the Supreme Court on the same day declined to urgently list a related petition seeking NEET reforms and raising similar allegations of excessive police action. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, heading a bench that also included Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, told the petitioner’s counsel that the court did not have time to view video evidence at that stage. The plea remains pending before the apex court for regular hearing.
Conclusion
With the Delhi High Court now seeking formal responses and safeguarding of evidence, the coming weeks are likely to bring greater clarity on what transpired at Jantar Mantar on July 20. The outcome could also shape how peaceful protests at the historic demonstration site are policed going forward.
Also read: CJP Suspends Fresh Parliament March After Violent Crackdown, Protest Continues at Jantar Mantar
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