CJP protests: Contempt plea in Supreme Court alleges Delhi Metro stations closed despite court order

A contempt of court petition has been filed before the Supreme Court alleging that Delhi Metro stations remained closed today despite the Court's October 9 order against a complete shutdown of public transport ahead of the proposed protests at Jantar Mantar by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

The petition, filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, seeks initiation of contempt of court proceedings against Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Chairperson D Thara for alleged wilful disobedience of the Court's directions.

Tripathi has alleged that despite the order, DMRC announced that entry and exit gates at 45 Metro stations would remain closed from 9 PM on October 9 until 6 PM on October 10.

According to the petitioner, he personally visited GTB Nagar and Vishwavidyalaya Metro stations around 9.30 PM on October 9 and found entry gates closed.

At GTB Nagar, gates 1 and 2 were closed while gate 3 permitted only regulated exits. Tripathi claims to have video-recorded gate 2.

At Vishwavidyalaya station, the entry gate was allegedly shut while only the exit gate remained open.

Tripathi claims that when he visited Jantar Mantar around 8.30 PM, only police and paramilitary personnel were present.

The petition has also alleged continued train cancellations and inadequate publicity of revised transport arrangements.

The plea seeks directions to the officials concerned to appear personally before the Court and explain why contempt action should not be initiated.

It also seeks immediate withdrawal of blanket restrictions and restoration of regulated transport services.

On Friday, a Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana had said that there should not be complete closure of metro trains or other forms of transport.

The intervened after petitions challenged restrictions on Metro and railway services ahead of protests called by the Cockroach Janta Party and other groups.

The Court described the restrictions as "overreaching" and distinguished between regulating public transport and prohibiting it altogether.

It recorded Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's assurance that authorities would reconsider the restrictions.

The Court also required DMRC, railway authorities and Delhi Police (Traffic) to file compliance reports within four days.

Tripathi, who was not a petitioner in those petitions, has now separately sought permission to institute contempt proceedings.