New Delhi, July 22: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and Delhi Police on three PILs alleging excessive use of force during the July 20 protest march organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The court also directed authorities to preserve CCTV footage and other electronic records related to the incident.A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya granted the respondents four weeks to file replies and scheduled the next hearing for September 11. The bench observed that even if the protest was an unlawful assembly, police were required to follow the prescribed legal procedure before using force.Petitioners alleged that the protest at Jantar Mantar was peaceful and that police used excessive force against unarmed protesters without following due process.The Centre opposed the petitions, arguing that legal remedies under criminal law were available and questioning the maintainability of the PILs. The court, however, issued notice and ordered preservation of all relevant evidence pending further hearing.
Delhi HC Seeks Centre, Police Reply on PILs Alleging Excessive Force During CJP Protest
