UPDATED: Oct 21, 2026 13:37 IST
The Delhi High Court heard arguments regarding the detention of activists Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das following their stir at Jantar Mantar. The bench questioned the petitioners for entering the site after it had been de-notified for protests, noting that breaking barricades poses serious law and order risks. The court cited instances in Europe where student demonstrations morphed into arson and looting, questioning why prior police nod was not obtained. It also raised queries regarding maintainability, asking why alternate remedies before the Special Executive Magistrate court and the district court were not pursued instead. Counsel for the petitioners argued that orders passed by the executive magistrate were arbitrary and pointed out that furnished sureties had been repeatedly rejected on frivolous grounds, infringing upon the right to personal liberty. Meanwhile, the Additional Solicitor General appearing for the police submitted that custody proceedings relate to production and the requirement of proper sureties, as the court deliberated on legal protections under preventive detention laws.
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