Delhi High Court to hear plea against closing Jantar Mantar for protests on October 13

The Delhi High Court, while declining to hear on Monday (October 12, 2026) a plea challenging the closure of Jantar Mantar for peace protests, posted the hearing for Tuesday (October 13, 2026), noting that the Supreme Court was already seized of the matter.

The court also agreed to hear on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) another petition alleging that “outsiders” had entered the protest held over the weekend and harassed the protesters.

A lawyer mentioned the matter before a Bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma, stating that peaceful protests were being quelled as authorities had not earmarked an alternative site for them. When the counsel asked the Bench to urgently hear the petition regarding the protest site on Monday (October 12, 2026), the court observed that the issue was also being looked into by the Supreme Court.

“Tomorrow. The Supreme Court is equally seized of the matter. Not only that, but the Supreme Court has called on the Union to file their affidavits also. Once the Supreme Court is seized of it, we have to see - to what extent we can look at it again. That’s why let us have it tomorrow,” the Bench responded.

The lawyer mentioning the matter told the Bench that the “right to free speech has been quelled to a great extent and that has enormous impact”.

“Now today Jantar Mantar is also closed. There is no other place which has been earmarked by the executive to actually carry out a protest in accordance with law. Peaceful protests are being quelled today. This is absolutely going to be a black day. We have faced this in 1975,” the lawyer said.

Hundreds took to the streets on October 10 and 11 after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

(With PTI inputs)