The Delhi High Court has agreed to hold an urgent hearing on Monday, July 20, regarding a public interest litigation claiming that security forces are conducting continuous and invasive surveillance on students protesting at Jantar Mantar.
Urgent Hearing Scheduled
A division bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia advanced the scheduled hearing of the petition from its usual Wednesday slot for public interest litigations to Monday. This adjustment followed an urgent request made by the senior counsel representing the petitioner, former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh.
Claims Of Rights Violations
Filed through advocate Subhash Chandran KR, the petition argues that the ongoing mass photography, video recording, and monitoring by police personnel at the protest site violate the demonstrators’ fundamental right to privacy. The plea asserts that officers are actively patrolling the area with mobile phones and cameras, a practice that the petitioner claims has damaged the morale of the protesting students.
According to the petition, the surveillance is entirely indiscriminate, targeting all individuals at the site regardless of whether they are suspected of unlawful conduct. The petitioner argues that the monitoring captures routine daily activities—including eating, resting, and receiving medical care—rather than focusing strictly on public acts of protest. The plea states that the petitioner has photographic evidence of a permanent surveillance tower as well as continuous recording by security forces at the venue.
Demands For Legal Relief
The litigation asks the court to declare that permanent, intrusive mass surveillance of peaceful assemblies is unconstitutional, disproportionate, and unjustifiable under the guise of maintaining national security or public order.
Additionally, the lawsuit seeks a court order directing authorities to immediately suspend all photography, videography, and related surveillance at Jantar Mantar, unless officials can prove there is a direct, real, and immediate threat to public safety that warrants such measures.
Context Of The Demonstration
The ongoing demonstration at Jantar Mantar has been active for more than 26 days. Organized by the Cockroach Janta Party, the protest demands the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged discrepancies in the NEET-UG examination. Activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the demonstration on June 28 and has been on an indefinite hunger strike since his arrival.
