Jantar Mantar denotified as protest site; Delhi HC to hear plea tomorrow

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday agreed to hear on Tuesday a petition challenging the alleged closure of Jantar Mantar as a protest site, with a lawyer arguing that peaceful demonstrations were being curtailed without an alternative venue being earmarked. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma also agreed to hear a separate plea seeking an independent probe into alleged assaults on protesters during demonstrations in the capital over the weekend.

When the lawyer sought an urgent hearing on Monday, the bench noted that the Supreme Court was also examining the issue and had asked the Union government to file affidavits. "The Supreme Court is equally seized of the matter," the bench said, scheduling the hearing for Tuesday. The lawyer argued that the closure of Jantar Mantar had severely curtailed the right to free speech, leaving protesters without a designated venue to hold demonstrations in accordance with the law.

Hundreds of people took to the streets on October 10 and 11 following a call by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Separately, National Students' Union of India president Vinod Jakhar has filed a public interest litigation seeking a fair, independent and time-bound probe into alleged assaults on protesters on October 10. The petition claimed that videos showed people described as "anti-social elements" in civilian clothes manhandling and beating peaceful demonstrators. It argued that failure to investigate the alleged incidents could have a chilling effect on fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and expression and the right to assemble peacefully. The plea also sought directions to preserve and hand over CCTV footage recorded between noon and 6 pm on October 10 from locations including Connaught Place, Sansad Marg, Janpath, Jantar Mantar Road and nearby Metro stations.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police on Monday announced that Jantar Mantar had been denotified as a designated protest site. A standing order issued by Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar on October 11 named Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as the new designated venues for protests and demonstrations.