India’s Supreme Court has directed authorities to release minors detained during nationwide youth protests, barred coercive action against demonstrators, and ordered preservation of all surveillance footage.
New Delhi, India – Web Desk: India’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the release of minors who were arrested during nationwide youth protests over exam paper leaks, while directing authorities to preserve all surveillance footage after petitioners accused police of using excessive force against demonstrators.
According to Indian media reports, Chief Justice Surya Kant also ordered that the digital and personal data of protest participants not be made public and barred any coercive action against those who took part in the demonstrations. The interim directions came in response to petitions filed by student protesters and activists seeking accountability from police and paramilitary forces over allegations of excessive force and the use of pellet guns during weeks of unrest in the capital and other cities.
The Chief Justice directed that all recorded material, including footage from drones, body-worn cameras and CCTV systems, be preserved for the ongoing proceedings. Legal website Live Law, among other outlets that reported on the ruling, cited Kant as saying that “the law will take care of them” regarding those responsible for wrongdoing against demonstrators, while stressing the need for an independent and fair investigation with clear accountability. geo
The federal government has maintained that police action during the protests amounted to lawful crowd control. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta reportedly told the court that while the alleged attacks on students could not be dismissed lightly, around 250 police personnel were also injured during the unrest, and said the government had no objection to a formal probe into the matter.
The demonstrations were triggered by the leak of question papers for a national medical college entrance exam and continued for weeks before ending on Saturday, after the federal education minister resigned and the government agreed to protesters’ demands, including exam reforms, withdrawal of police cases against demonstrators, and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide following the leaks.
During the protests, tensions repeatedly flared between demonstrators and security forces in several parts of the country. In New Delhi, protesters attempting to march toward parliament were met with tear gas and baton charges. Authorities separately suspended a police officer in an eastern state after he fired an assault rifle into the air to disperse student protesters over the weekend.
The unrest has also drawn scrutiny over the government’s use of technology during the demonstrations. It was reported this week that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is facing criticism from activists over AI-powered surveillance deployed at protest sites, after demonstrators shared images of a mobile police van fitted with a telescopic camera mast capable of providing a 360-degree view of gatherings.
The Cockroach Janta Party, the group that led the movement, said this week that “hundreds” of students had been arrested across various states in violation of the government’s commitments, though this claim has not been independently verified.
The Supreme Court’s interim order is expected to remain in effect as the case proceeds, with further hearings likely to determine the scope of the investigation into the conduct of security forces during the protests.
