Bombay HC on mass detentions during anti-CEC protests: ‘Cannot pass blanket orders’
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday declined to pass blanket orders on a plea challenging alleged preventive detentions and police excesses during demonstrations in Mumbai on October 10 and 11 over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A Bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna deferred the hearing to Monday after government pleader Manish Upadhye sought time to obtain instructions.
Advocate Manish Tomar, appearing for petitioner Sagar Kantilal Devre, sought interim relief, asking the court to direct police to release those detained. The Bench said it could not pass blanket orders and asked the petitioner to place specific instances on record.
“We cannot pass such blanket orders. Whatever are the instances you bring those on record, we will take care of it,” the Bench said.
The PIL challenges alleged indiscriminate roundups at August Kranti Maidan and Shivaji Park, claiming that demonstrators, bystanders and women were affected. It also alleges that students were picked up from their homes based on cases linked to the July 2026 protests that had already been quashed by the Supreme Court.
The petition seeks a declaration that detaining peaceful demonstrators, pedestrians and others without lawful, individual justification is unconstitutional. It also seeks an independent inquiry into alleged police excesses, preservation of electronic records and standard operating procedures for policing protests.
