Supreme Court Directs No Illegal Detentions as Delhi Braces for Second Day of CEC Protests

The Supreme Court held a special sitting on Sunday and directed that no individual may be detained except in accordance with the procedure established by law, particularly in the context of peaceful and unarmed assemblies outside areas covered by prohibitory orders. The court also said metro and rail services connected to Delhi must operate normally and that internet services cannot be shut down contrary to law.

The hearing arose from petitions challenging the Delhi Police response to protests on Saturday organised by the Cockroach Janta Party. The group is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Police detained an estimated 7,000 people across the capital on Saturday after deploying more than 40,000 security personnel and imposing widespread restrictions.

Among those detained were CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were later released by an executive magistrate on a surety bond of Rs 50,000 each with a condition to maintain peace for one year. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was also released after detention. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other opposition figures were among those held. The CJP has called for another gathering at Jantar Mantar at 10 am on Sunday and said supporters should protest wherever police stop them.

On Friday the Supreme Court had already expressed concern over the closure of 57 metro stations and cancellation of trains, describing complete prohibition on essential public transport as overreaching and reminding authorities of the principle of proportionality. A contempt petition alleged that restrictions continued despite the earlier order. The court is also hearing a habeas corpus petition related to the detentions.

Delhi Police have maintained barricades at city borders, sealed Jantar Mantar, and flagged 30 traffic points for possible diversion. Metro station gates reopened and rail restrictions ended, but security deployment remains high. The INDIA bloc has announced a separate protest on Monday and plans to approach the Supreme Court over the voter roll revision.

The CJP alleges that 13 crore votes were deleted or manipulated during the revision process. Authorities have described the measures as necessary to prevent disruption. The court has not yet ruled on the merits of the electoral roll claims. Its interim directions focus on the limits of preventive detention and the continuity of essential services during public assemblies.

Whether the second day of protests produces further detentions or remains within the boundaries set by the court will shape the immediate course of the dispute over the Election Commission’s conduct of the revision exercise.