On Sunday, senior advocate KK Venugopal filed a petition before a bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, alleging a former junior lawyer was seized by Delhi Police, transported in a van, and dropped 11 km away from the Supreme Court, with officers wearing no name badges and giving no explanation.
The petition follows a wave of detentions tied to the Cockroach Janta Party protests that began on Oct 10, when authorities shut metro stations and barred court access, prompting multiple contempt and habeas corpus filings.
Justice Bagchi demanded the state justify the detentions under three criteria—circumstances, manner, and justification—and the bench issued an interim order ordering the removal of Section 163 BNSS notices outside the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court to ensure unhindered professional movement.
Delhi Police defended the action as lawful, but the Supreme Court’s directive signals a judicial push for transparent policing and protects the right of legal professionals to reach the courtroom, a right denied to the unnamed junior lawyer who was left unable to present her case.