A day after his bench opposed blanket curbs on public transport ahead of the demonstration, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Saturday morning contacted government authorities to secure the release of several lawyers, including women advocates, after being informed they had been detained by Delhi Police while peacefully protesting outside the Supreme Court complex.
People in the know said the development came after the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) sought the CJI’s urgent intervention over the reported detentions in or around the vicinity of the country’s highest court despite no apparent justification for such action. In a subsequent post on X, Rai thanked the CJI for intervening and said he had also spoken to deputy commissioner of police Sachin Sharma, who assured him that any lawyer found to be in custody would be released immediately once the details were provided. On Friday, the bench of the CJI and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed the authorities to reconsider restrictions on metro and railway services, stressing that public safety measures must remain proportionate to the situation. On Friday, the Supreme Court had heard submissions by lawyers about reports of police personnel visiting hostels, paying guest accommodations and other premises to discourage young people from participating.
SCBA president Pradeep Rai had also raised the matter on social media, describing the detention of Supreme Court advocates from their chambers as deeply disturbing and demanding their immediate release. The CJI’s intervention followed a day after a bench led by him had stepped in against sweeping restrictions imposed ahead of the same protest, making clear that security considerations could justify regulation of public transport but not a blanket shutdown that inconvenienced ordinary citizens. Saturday’s detention of lawyers unfolded against this backdrop of heightened security in Delhi. Police had denied permission for the CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar, citing security considerations and procedural requirements. Hundreds of protesters were detained or arrested as police and central armed police forces personnel were deployed across the capital, with barricades and other restrictions affecting traffic and access to public spaces. The police action also drew attention to concerns about the extent of preventive measures being adopted to stop people from joining the demonstration. The bench declined to comment on those allegations in the absence of material formally placed before it, indicating that separate petitions could be filed for appropriate consideration.
The court was responding to restrictions that included plans to close entry and exit gates at 57 metro stations, reduce train frequency and cancel several railway services ahead of the demonstration.
The court’s concern, it said, was not with the organisers or protesters but with the hundreds of thousands of people who depend on public transport to travel to work, attend educational institutions or earn their livelihood.
