Shillong: The Supreme Court ordered authorities Sunday to keep Delhi transit and internet running. A bench featuring Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana ruled that Metro and railway services must function normally. They demanded an end to unnecessary barricades and restricted movement. The court also ordered internet access to remain undisturbed.
The hearing followed contempt petitions alleging the state ignored an October 9 order. Petitioners claimed officials shut down rail stations, killed web access, and detained thousands ahead of a protest against Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy told the court that "more than 7,000 people, including student leaders, journalists and political figures, had been detained."
Lawyers faced obstruction. The bench insisted that attorneys must perform their duties without interference. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta promised the court that legal professionals would not be blocked. Mehta argued that the state already normalized transit services by October 10. The court disagreed, ordering the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to explain restricted entry at specific stations via affidavit.
Justices Bagchi and Mohana banned detention outside the scope of established law. They specifically addressed the detention of people near Section 163 prohibitory zones. Authorities must remove signs enforcing these restrictions near court premises. The government must file a full compliance report by Tuesday. Other lawyers including Kapil Sibal, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, and Sanjay Hegde challenged the legality of current detentions and the lack of police identification badges.
Comments