Delhi youth protest: Case back in SC, days after 'no time for videos' remark

More than two months after Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant's "cockroach" remark inadvertently gave rise to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the Supreme Court on Friday, 24 July agreed to hear two petitions alleging police excesses against students protesting the NEET paper leak and other examination irregularities. The hearing has been scheduled for 27 July.

The development comes just two days after a bench headed by the CJI declined an urgent listing of a plea alleging police brutality during the CJP-led march to Parliament in Delhi on 20 July. When senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan referred to videos of the police action, the CJI remarked that the court had "no time" to watch them and told counsel, "Don't waste our time."

On Friday, however, a bench comprising the CJI and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana agreed to hear two separate public interest litigations after the matter was mentioned before it. "Police is using excessive force against the students," Sankaranarayanan told the bench. "The court stands between us and the police."

Emphasising the urgency, he said such incidents were occurring on a daily basis and informed the court that two separate petitions relating to the violence during student protests had been filed and numbered by the Supreme Court registry. The CJI then directed that both matters be listed for hearing on 27 July.

The irony of the sequence has not gone unnoticed. Justice Surya Kant's "cockroach" analogy, made during a hearing in May, was appropriated by youth activists who went on to launch the CJP as a satirical political movement against unemployment, examination irregularities and the government's education policies. The party has since led protests across the country, including the 20 July march in Delhi that culminated in a violent face-off with police.

During that march, protesters attempting to move towards Parliament clashed with security personnel, who used lathis and tear gas — as well as stones, tasers and pellet guns as per some reports — in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy, which has been a key demand of the CJP as well, subsequently supported by the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties.

Allegations of police excesses are also before the Delhi High Court. On 22 July, the high court sought responses from the Centre and Delhi Police on two petitions alleging excessive use of force during the 20 July march and directed the authorities to preserve all relevant records, including CCTV footage and other video recordings.

With PTI inputs