Delhi High Court Agrees To Hear Today PIL Alleging Police Excesses During CJP's Parliament March

The Delhi High Court has allowed urgent listing for today of a PIL alleging excessive force was used by the Delhi Police on protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party's July 20 Parliament march.

The matter was mentioned by a lawyer before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Teias Karia.

The lawyer said that the incident has shocked the conscience of entire nation.

The Court then agreed to hear the matter today.

Significant to note that the judges had yesterday, refused urgent listing of a similar plea, orally stating, “Don't drag Court into all this. It will come up tomorrow.”

As per Delhi Police, at least nine FIRs have been registered so far in connection with the “violence, stone-pelting, and vandalism” during the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) "Sansad Chalo" march.

“FIRs have been filed at Connaught Place, Parliament Street, and other police stations. Authorities are identifying the accused with the help of video footage from areas where violence occurred,” the police has said.

The cases were filed across multiple police stations, including Parliament Street, Barakhamba, and Connaught Place. 

The charges include rioting, assaulting public servants on duty, damaging government and private property, and a life-threatening attack on a Rapid Action Force (RAF) jawan. 

'Cockroach Janata Party' is a satirical social media movement which emerged in response to an oral comment made by the CJI during a hearing, where he equated unemployed youth attacking systems under the garb of online activism as 'cockroaches'.

The CJI later clarified that he was referring to persons with fake degrees. The social media handles of 'Cockroach Janata Party', which amassed millions of followers within a matter of days, were later suspended.