Delhi High Court Postpones Hearing on Jantar Mantar Protests and Regulations, NSUI Petition Examined

The Delhi High Court has deferred hearings on petitions related to the regulation of protests at Jantar Mantar and across the national capital. Petitioners argued that in the absence of clear regulations and proper implementation of the Supreme Court's Amit Sahni judgment, local traders and business owners are suffering massive financial losses.

Traders' Concerns and Judicial Approach

Particularly, the months from October to February are considered peak business season in the capital. Consequently, petitioners urged the court to allow them to present their arguments before the Supreme Court in pending matters. During the proceedings, the Delhi High Court stated that it does not wish to encroach upon issues already pending consideration before the apex court, noting that these petitions stem from the landmark 'Amit Sahni judgment' concerning public roads and protests.

NSUI Petition and Demands for SIT Probe

Additionally, the High Court is hearing petitions filed by NSUI and Anshika Tripathi, seeking an SIT probe into the alleged violence against protesters on October 10. Counsel for the petitioners informed the court that unidentified miscreants barged into the protest site and assaulted demonstrators, with multiple videos of the incident circulating on social media. The petitioners have requested that CCTV footage of the incident be preserved and that they be allowed to amend their affidavits.

Objections on PIL and Next Steps

Meanwhile, the ASG raised preliminary objections regarding the maintainability of Jakhar's PIL. The High Court granted three weeks to the ASG to formally file these objections and sought complete details of petitions filed in the Supreme Court concerning similar matters. The court has granted time to counsels to gather full records of pending supreme court litigations before the next date of hearing.