The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to allow an urgent listing of a petition raising the issue of the Delhi police action against student protesters in the national capital. The protests were called by the Cockroach Janta Party seeking the resignation of the Union Education Minister over exam paper leaks.
The demonstration had brought thousands of young people to the streets to voice their anger over examination paper leaks and systemic testing failures. What began as a public expression of student frustration quickly escalated into severe chaos as marchers attempted to push through security barricades towards major government buildings.
During the clashes, security personnel deployed tear gas and lathi-charges to control the surging crowd. Numerous protesters and officers sustained injuries during the confrontation, leaving the capital tense and drawing massive political reactions from various factions demanding accountability.
When a lawyer tried to present video evidence of the clash to the bench to secure an emergency hearing, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant firmly turned down the request. The bench made it clear that they were not willing to review video footage at the mentioning stage, cutting short attempts to argue the gravity of the visuals.
"Don't waste our time, and don't waste your time," CJI Surya Kant told the lawyer, declining to entertain the plea for an out-of-turn hearing. The court emphasized that it is not interested in videos and lacks the time to watch them, effectively shutting down immediate judicial intervention on the matter.
This refusal follows a similar setback in the High Court, where authorities also declined an urgent listing, advising petitioners not to drag the court into the matter. Legal observers note that while routine channels remain open, the immediate push for extraordinary judicial intervention has hit a hard roadblock.
As the tension on the ground continues to simmer and organizers threaten larger mobilizations, the legal battle finds itself delayed. For now, the apex court has made its stance plain, prioritizing other judicial matters over an emergency review of the street clashes.