The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 27 (Monday) a plea alleging police excesses against students protesting at Jantar Mantar [Shailendra Mani Tripathi vs. Union of India and Ors]..The matter was mentioned today before a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan made the mention, stating that a petition had been filed and a diary number had already been generated."We have filed a plea concerning the student protests. Diary number is generated. There is urgency. Police excess is going against students. Something has to be done... the Court is standing in between," Sankaranarayanan submitted.Taking note of the request, CJI Surya Kant said, "We will hear on Monday.".The protest at Jantar Mantar began last month on a call by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to protest repeated national exam paper leaks and demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protests gained momentum after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined and started a hunger strike in solidarity. Wangchuk was later removed from the protest site and taken to a hospital by the Delhi police, citing his worsening health condition. He ended his 26-day hunger strike at Medanta Hospital late on July 23.Meanwhile, the protests at Jantar Mantar continued, culminating in a call for a"Sansad Chalo" march to the Parliament on July 20. The police warned that no permission had been given for the march. After protestors gathered in huge numbers on July 20, clashes were reported, and allegations emerged about lathi charges, tear gas use and violent actions by the police against student protestors. A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has now been filed before the Supreme Court seeking the issue of directions against the alleged excessive use of police force and arbitrary restrictions on peaceful public assemblies. The petitioner is also being represented by Advocates Chand Qureshi and Gaurav Kumar..A similar plea alleging police excesses against the protestors is pending before the Delhi High Court, which has sought the government's response in the matter. .[Live Coverage]
