The Supreme Court of India will convene a special sitting on Sunday to hear a batch of contempt petitions filed over the preventive detention of lawyers, cancellation of train services, and temporary closure of Delhi Metro stations during the October 10 protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The development comes a day after the Delhi High Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association separately condemned what they described as “excessive and disproportionate use of force” by police against peaceful protesters, including women advocates.

The protests, which saw hundreds gather near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara and later attempt to march toward Jantar Mantar, were met with heavy barricading and large-scale detentions. Video footage circulated on social media showed senior advocate Shadan Farasat being lifted and thrown into a moving bus by Delhi Police personnel. “It has become a police state. The value of a citizen is nothing today … they tore my shirt and threw me inside a moving bus,” Farasat later said, expressing serious concern for his safety.

Bar Associations Condemn Police Action

The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) passed a resolution on October 10 strongly disapproving of the treatment meted out to advocates. “Video footage that has surfaced depicts lawyers, including senior advocates, being physically dragged by the police. Such high-handed and undignified treatment of members of the legal fraternity is wholly reprehensible and constitutes a grave affront to their dignity and constitutional rights,” the resolution stated. It emphasized that the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and dissent cannot be curtailed by arbitrary detention or excessive force under the pretext of maintaining public order.

The DHCBA also expressed alarm over reports that police personnel tore the Preamble of the Constitution of India, calling it an act that “strikes at the ideals and values upon which the Republic is founded.” The association demanded an impartial inquiry into the incident, fixing of responsibility, and appropriate action against those found guilty of unlawful force.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) followed with an urgent appeal to the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, bringing to his notice the detention of several advocates, including women, and the use of excessive force within the Supreme Court premises itself. SCBA secretary Pragya Baghel later confirmed that all detainees had been released by Saturday evening.

CJI and Solicitor General Intervene

Acting on the SCBA’s resolution, the Chief Justice of India personally communicated with the authorities, directing the release of the detained lawyers. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also intervened in the matter, and the lawyers were subsequently freed from the Yamuna Sports Complex where they had been taken.

The quick intervention underscored the gravity of the situation. The DHCBA resolution, signed by its president and senior advocate N Hariharan and honorary secretary Vikram Singh Panwar, noted that the detentions and alleged use of force struck at the core of rule-of-law principles and were “incompatible” with a democratic society.

Contempt Petitions Challenge Detentions and Metro Closures

Two petitions filed in the Supreme Court form the basis of Sunday’s hearing. The first, by senior advocate and TMC Rajya Sabha MP Menaka Guruswamy, challenges the preventive detention of Opposition leaders, including four former chief ministers, and the detention of other protesters moving toward Jantar Mantar. The petition argues that the police action amounts to suppression of the fundamental right to peaceful protest under Article 19(1)(b) of the Constitution.

The second petition, filed by advocate Shailendra Mano Tripathi, seeks contempt proceedings against Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, and DMRC Chairperson D Thara for allegedly violating the Supreme Court’s October 9 order. That order had directed the Centre to ensure no “complete prohibition” on the movement of Metro trains and rail services coming into Delhi on October 10, saying such blanket shutdowns were disproportionate. The Court had asked Solicitor General Mehta to impress upon the authorities to reassess the prohibitions and permit regulated operations.

Despite that directive, the petitioners allege that the authorities maintained a “blanket shutdown across transit corridors,” persisted with unwarranted train cancellations, and failed to issue transparent traffic advisories—effectively bypassing the court’s authority. The plea states: “This deliberate recalcitrance has severely crippled public life across the National Capital Territory, stranded essential travellers and amounts to an intentional attempt to undermine the majesty of this Hon’ble Court.”

Following the Supreme Court’s earlier direction, the DMRC revised its decision and reduced the number of closed stations to 45, but the petitioners argue that even that measure was excessive.

What Happens Next

A bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana will take up the contempt petitions on Sunday. The hearing is expected to examine whether the police and DMRC actions were proportionate to the threat of public disorder and whether they violated the fundamental right to assembly as well as the specific court order. The legal community will watch closely as the outcome could set a significant precedent on the limits of state power in regulating peaceful protests.

The detained lawyers have now been released, but the broader issues of police accountability and the use of preventive detention against peaceful demonstrators remain unresolved. The Supreme Court’s intervention this weekend will likely determine the next course of action, including possible contempt proceedings against senior officials if the court finds that its order was willfully disobeyed.