Supreme Court Bar Association urges CJI to intervene after lawyers detained near Supreme Court

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has urged Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to intervene in the detention of lawyers by Delhi Police and Central forces during protests near the Supreme Court in New Delhi on Saturday.

In a resolution dated October 10, the association condemned what it described as the use of excessive force against senior and young advocates, particularly women lawyers, who were reportedly protesting peacefully in the Supreme Court area.

The SCBA said it had received information that several advocates had been detained and called on the CJI to take up the matter with the authorities to establish their whereabouts and ensure their safety.

It also urged authorities to provide the detained lawyers access to legal assistance and immediately release those against whom there were no lawful grounds for detention.

“The Supreme Court Bar Association resolves to request the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India to intervene urgently and take up the matter with the concerned authorities so that the whereabouts and safety of every detained advocate are ascertained, they are given access to legal assistance, and those against whom there are no lawful grounds for detention are released immediately,” the resolution stated.

The association also called for an examination of the circumstances surrounding the detentions and the reported use of force, urging appropriate action in accordance with the law.

The detentions took place amid heightened security in the national capital ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstration was called over allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

The development follows the Supreme Court’s observations on Friday against sweeping restrictions on public transport ahead of the planned protest. The court said security measures should be proportionate and that there should be no outright prohibition on the movement of metro trains.

There was no immediate response from Delhi Police or the Central forces to the SCBA’s allegations, according to reports.