The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a formal notice in response to petitions challenging the Delhi Police order that removed Jantar Mantar from the list of officially designated protest locations. During the proceedings, the bench questioned whether the authorities made the decision following oral observations from the judiciary or if it stemmed from an independent evaluation of the site's suitability for demonstrations.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that judicial rulings did not trigger the administrative decision. Instead, he explained that an established committee had previously reviewed the matter and submitted a comprehensive report regarding the venue.
Alongside the core issue concerning the protest site, the court addressed related petitions that raised allegations of police misconduct during the demonstrations. The bench instructed law enforcement authorities to secure and preserve all closed-circuit television footage related to the protests. Additionally, the court noted that private individuals could also retain video evidence to present during future proceedings.
The justices further heard arguments addressing reported attacks and instances of mistreatment involving women journalists who were covering the protests and marches. Senior advocate Indira Jaising emphasized to the court that these media personnel were simply fulfilling their professional responsibilities when the incidents occurred.