New Delhi [India], July 24 : The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 27 petitions alleging excessive police action against students who participated in protests at Jantar Mantar and other places across the country over examination paper leaks.
The matter was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, saying two petitions concerning the alleged violence against protesters have been filed.
Sankaranarayanan submitted that the petitions related to incidents of alleged police violence during student protests and involve multiple states as parties.
He said the petitions had not been mentioned earlier because they were awaiting diary numbers.
Stressing the urgency of the issue, he told the bench that reports of police excesses against students were continuing and called for immediate judicial intervention.
"The police is using excessive force against children. It is continuing unabated. Some controls are necessary. The Court stands between us and the police," he submitted.
Taking note of the submissions, the CJI agreed to entertain the petitions and directed that they be listed for hearing on Monday.
"Let it be listed; we will entertain," said the CJI.
The July 20 Parliament march, organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) after weeks of protests and a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, drew thousands of students who attempted to march towards Parliament demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination paper leaks and broader reforms to the examination system.
As demonstrators attempted to breach several police barricades in central Delhi while marching towards Parliament, security personnel used tear gas shells and carried out a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
Several videos shared on social media purportedly showed protesters being manhandled by police.
The Delhi Police, however, defended its action, stating that force was used only after sections of the crowd turned violent and allegedly engaged in stone-pelting.