The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned until October 15 the hearing of petitions concerning restrictions on Delhi Metro and railway services during protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The matters include a contempt petition accusing authorities of failing to comply with the court’s earlier directions.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana deferred the proceedings after Justice Mohana attended court despite being unwell.
At the beginning of the hearing, the CJI informed the lawyers about Justice Mohana’s health. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested an adjournment, submitting that the judge should not be required to continue proceedings while unwell. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan and other lawyers supported the request.
Centre Gets More Time to File Response
During the brief proceedings, Mehta informed the bench that Tuesday was the deadline for the Union government’s response to the contempt petition concerning restrictions imposed on public transport services ahead of the October 10 demonstrations.
He submitted that the affidavit had already been prepared but that he wanted to incorporate additional details before submitting it to the court.
The bench granted the Centre additional time to file its affidavit and directed that a copy be furnished to the lawyers representing the petitioners.
The contempt proceedings concern allegations that authorities disregarded the Supreme Court’s instructions against a complete suspension of metro and train operations in connection with the protests.
Petitions Challenge Restrictions During Protests
The batch of petitions arose from measures affecting metro stations and railway services in Delhi amid demonstrations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Several petitions had earlier been mentioned before the Supreme Court for urgent consideration.
During those proceedings, CJI Surya Kant assured the lawyers that the matters would be taken up and asked them to ensure that any procedural defects in their petitions were corrected.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan had sought an urgent hearing on a contempt petition filed by a journalist, alleging non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s October 11 order.
Earlier Directions on Detention, Metro and Internet Services
In its October 11 order, the Supreme Court had directed that people participating in peaceful gatherings should not face unlawful detention.
The court had also instructed the Centre to maintain normal Delhi Metro operations and avoid interruptions to internet services, subject to law-and-order requirements.
The directions came against the backdrop of protests in the national capital seeking the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over allegations relating to the revision of electoral rolls.
The Supreme Court will now take up the pending petitions, including the contempt matter, on October 15.
