Delhi HC declines urgent hearing against CJP protester surveillance

The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to urgently hear a petition to restrain the Delhi Police from allegedly carrying out “continuous surveillance of peaceful protesters” associated with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar

The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to urgently hear a petition to restrain the Delhi Police from allegedly carrying out “continuous surveillance of peaceful protesters” associated with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.

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The bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia listed the matter for hearing on Monday.

The petition had been filed by former Jawaharlal Nehru University Student’s Union president Aishe Ghosh. Her lawyer, Nandita Rao, had requested to take up the matter immediately on Friday, contending that the police were continuously videoing the protesters and this was adversely affecting their morale.

In the petition, Ghosh contended that since the commencement of the CJP sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar on June 20, protesters have been subjected to continuous photography, videography and round-the-clock monitoring through a permanent surveillance tower installed at the protest site.

It further alleged that the monitoring goes beyond documenting the protest itself and captures routine personal activities, including eating, resting, seeking medical assistance, and other aspects of daily life.

This, it said, has created a pervasive atmosphere of fear and have deterred several students from attending the protest, associating themselves with the movement, or openly expressing their views.

“The surveillance apparatus has been used as an instrument of intimidation and deterrence against student protesters. On several occasions, police personnel have threatened student participants that the photographs and videos taken of them at the protest site would be forwarded to their parents, guardians, and the principals or authorities of their respective educational institutions,” the petition stated.