Delhi High Court seeks the Union government’s response on alleged police excesses during Delhi student protests

The Delhi High Court has sought the Union government’s response on petitions alleging police excesses during the July 20 crackdown on student protests in Delhi. The case matters for UPSC because it sits at the intersection of public order, protest rights, and police accountability.

The petitioners said the police action should not be treated as a set of isolated incidents. They argued that crowd-control measures must follow a prescribed legal and administrative process, especially when allegations involve students and families at a protest site.

Background and earlier position

The petitions relied on the Supreme Court’s 2012 directions in the Ramlila Maidan case, which required police authorities to frame standing orders for action during protests. The petitioners argued that such standard operating procedures had not been implemented and that tear gas, which they described as a last-resort measure, was used against students and mothers with children.

The petitioners also said they had video evidence showing improper use of force, including allegations that lathis had nails and that an Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police slapped a woman on the protest sidelines. They further stated that students had been protesting peacefully for about 20 days over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) before deciding to march to Parliament.

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