Quick Answer: The Supreme Court on Sunday ordered Delhi's barricades reviewed, ruled out illegal detentions of peaceful protesters, and directed that metro and rail services run normally with internet left undisturbed, during a special hearing on the October 10 crackdown against the CJP protest.
By GlobalDeskNews Staff
India's Supreme Court stepped into the Delhi protest crackdown on Sunday, ordering authorities to review barricades across the capital, leave internet services undisturbed and keep metro and rail services running normally, in what amounts to the judiciary's first direct intervention in the October 10 mass detentions. The Supreme Court Delhi barricades order came from a special Sunday bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, assembled at 10:30 AM IST to hear an urgent pair of petitions: a contempt plea over the shutdown of metro stations and cancellation of trains on Saturday, and a habeas corpus petition by senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy challenging the detention of political leaders.
The directions, dictated between roughly noon and 12:30 PM IST, don't just scold. They set hard guardrails for the days ahead: no detention except by procedure established by law, particularly of peaceful and unarmed people gathering beyond the zones where prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita are in force; free movement of people across the city subject only to traffic regulations; and the removal of a Section 163 board that had gone up outside the Supreme Court premises itself, so nobody fears approaching the court.
What the Supreme Court ordered on Delhi's barricades
The headline direction is the barricades. The bench ordered that their imposition "shall be reviewed forthwith," keeping in mind law and order and traffic conditions — ABP News reported the court wanted them removed unless "absolutely warranted." It's not a blanket demolition order; police can still put up barricades where public order genuinely demands it. But the message is unmistakable: the default is a city that moves.
The same goes for the internet and transport. The court said metro and rail facilities must function normally unless regulations are genuinely required on public order grounds under Article 19(2) of the Constitution — they may be "regulated but not prohibited." Internet facilities, the bench said, "shall remain undisturbed," while noting it was not stripping away the government's powers under the IT Act. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, assured the court that lawyers, journalists and other professionals would not be impeded in their work — the bench took that assurance on record.
Why the court assembled on a Sunday
Sunday sittings are rare, and the bench didn't hide why it had gathered. Petitioners argued there had been a flagrant violation of the court's own order of October 9: metro stations shut, New Delhi and Nizamuddin railway stations closed, no traffic advisories issued, and large numbers of people detained and harassed even in areas where no prohibitory order was in force. Guruswamy told the court her habeas plea wasn't about a few prominent names — it was for roughly 7,000 people allegedly detained across the city, including ordinary citizens.
She described a city under a curfew-like shutdown, with transport suspended and the internet cut, and said it had been difficult to even assemble complete information when filing because of the lack of internet access. In a line that landed hard, she said such a situation had come before the court after 50 years — comparing it with the period when the Emergency was imposed. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal pressed the bench to restore his faith in the system, telling it he was tired of having to run to the judiciary for relief.
What the government told the court
The Solicitor General pushed back on nearly every allegation. There had been "zero reduction" in metro operations, he said — only entry and exit points closed at 45 of Delhi Metro's 303 stations, and all stations had reopened by 10 PM on Saturday. Internet services, he said, were restored by Saturday night too. Some people had been detained around 2 PM and released by 6 PM, so, in his argument, the habeas corpus petition no longer survived.
The bench didn't accept the "everything is fine now" argument at face value. It noted that an earlier Delhi Metro notification had covered 57 stations before the number came down to 45, and ordered the authorities to file a map and details of exactly which stations were closed or restricted, why, and whether alternatives were available to passengers. It also issued notice on the alleged contemnors in the contempt petition, directing them to file affidavits and a compliance report showing cause why contempt proceedings should not be initiated.
The courtroom exchanges that stood out
Justice Bagchi told the courtroom the bench was "dutybound under Article 32 to prevent encroachment on fundamental rights," and said the court's concern was the same no matter who was before it: "Courts are agnostic to the individual who is the subject, be it a police officer, be it a lawyer, or be it an ordinary citizen," as reported by the Hindustan Times. When Sibal thanked the bench at the end, Justice Mohana replied that it was the court's duty.
Other counsel flagged what they called the rough edges of Saturday's crackdown: police officers acting without badges, one person picked up and dropped off far from where she was taken, and the seizure of lawyers' digital devices. The court said it would examine the circumstances, the manner and the justification of the detentions. Sibal separately argued that peaceful demonstrations should be permitted within a four-kilometre radius for any citizen — the bench called the argument "interesting" and said it wanted to hear it in detail, while pointing to the reasonable restrictions Article 19(2) allows on public order grounds.
Why it matters
This is the first judicial check on Saturday's crackdown, and it shifts the terms of everything that follows. The protests — called by the Cockroach Janata Party demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over the Special Intensive Revision drive — are continuing, with the outfit's leaders, released on Sunday morning on a no-breach-of-peace bond, announcing a press conference for 2 PM. The court's orders mean the state can't replay Saturday's playbook: no sealed metro stations, no internet blackout, no barricades as a first resort. For ordinary Delhiites, the practical effect is immediate — the city is supposed to move normally.
What happens next
The matter returns on Tuesday. By then the authorities must file a detailed response covering the metro, railway and road restrictions, the closed stations and the detentions, plus affidavits from the alleged contemnors. All other unlisted petitions on the same issues will be tagged with the main matters. The government has also been put on notice on contempt — if the bench finds its October 9 order was deliberately violated, proceedings can begin. Between now and Tuesday, every barricade in Delhi is supposed to be under review, and every station is supposed to be open.
Key Takeaways
- The Supreme Court held a rare special Sunday sitting on October 11, with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana hearing a contempt petition and a habeas corpus plea on the Delhi crackdown.
- The bench ordered barricades reviewed forthwith, free movement of people and traffic, metro and rail running normally, and internet left undisturbed.
- No detention except by procedure established by law, the court said — particularly of peaceful, unarmed gatherings beyond Section 163 BNSS zones.
- The Solicitor General disputed the allegations, saying only 45 of 303 metro stations had entry/exit restricted and all reopened by 10 PM Saturday; the court demanded proof by Tuesday.
- Petitioners alleged roughly 7,000 detentions and compared the situation to the Emergency; the court said it will examine the circumstances, manner and justification of detentions.
- Next hearing is Tuesday, with a detailed government response, a station-by-station account, and contempt affidavits due.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Supreme Court order about Delhi's barricades?
The court ordered that the imposition of barricades across Delhi be reviewed forthwith, considering law and order and traffic conditions — effectively, they should come down unless "absolutely warranted," as ABP News reported the direction. Police keep the power to barricade where public order genuinely requires it, but the default is a freely moving city.
Did the court ban detentions in Delhi?
No. It directed that there shall be no detention "save and except by procedure established by law," with emphasis on peaceful, unarmed people gathering beyond the areas where Section 163 BNSS prohibitory orders operate. Preventive detention under lawful procedure is unaffected; the court targeted what petitioners called illegal detentions outside those zones.
What did the court say about the internet shutdown?
It directed that internet facilities "shall remain undisturbed." The Solicitor General submitted that services had been restored by 10 PM on Saturday, and the court took that on record while adding it was not taking away the government's powers under the IT Act. Any future shutdown would have to stand against this direction.
Why was there a Sunday hearing?
Petitioners alleged flagrant violation of the court's October 9 order: closed metro and railway stations, no traffic advisories, and mass detentions of allegedly around 7,000 people in a curfew-like, internet-cut city. The bench treated the matter as urgent enough to assemble on a Sunday, which Indian courts do only in exceptional circumstances.
What happens on Tuesday?
The authorities must file a detailed response on the metro, railway and road restrictions — including a map of the closed stations — plus the circumstances of the detentions, and the alleged contemnors must file affidavits showing cause why contempt proceedings should not be initiated. All related petitions will be tagged together and heard then.
Does this affect the CJP protests planned for Sunday?
Indirectly, yes. The outfit's leaders, released Sunday morning on a one-year no-breach-of-peace bond, called a 2 PM press conference and a fresh Jantar Mantar march. The court's orders mean authorities can't respond with sealed stations, internet cuts or citywide barricades; protests can still be regulated under lawful public-order powers.
Sources
- LiveLaw — "Supreme Court Sunday Hearing Against Detentions & Curbs During Delhi Protests [Live Updates]," October 11, 2026: livelaw.in
- ABP News — "Remove Barricades, Internet Services Can't Be Shut: SC To Centre Amid CJP Protest," October 11, 2026: news.abplive.com
- Hindustan Times — "No illegal detentions in Delhi during peaceful gatherings, no curbs on movement: SC," October 11, 2026: hindustantimes.com