Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 10: The Supreme Court is likely to hold a special sitting on Sunday to hear a contempt petition alleging that the blanket closure of Delhi Metro stations and disruption of train services to prevent the gathering of protesters opposing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar violated the court’s order.
A bench comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana is expected to hear the matter, a lawyer said.
The petition, filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, has sought contempt proceedings against Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Chairperson D. Thara for allegedly failing to comply with the directions issued by the apex court.
The petitioner alleged that despite the Supreme Court’s categorical direction against a complete stoppage of Metro services, entry and exit gates at several stations remained closed, while train services continued to be cancelled or curtailed, causing inconvenience to commuters and disrupting public life in the national capital.
According to the plea, the DMRC had announced the closure of entry and exit gates at 45 Metro stations in Delhi.
Tripathi claimed that he visited GTB Nagar and Vishwavidyalaya Metro stations at around 9.30 pm and found their entry gates shut. He also claimed to have recorded the locked gates on video.
The petition further alleged that the authorities had failed to adequately publicise revised travel arrangements and continued to impose restrictions on public transport despite the Supreme Court’s directions.
Referring to his visit to Jantar Mantar at around 8.30 pm, the petitioner claimed that only police and paramilitary personnel were present at the protest site and that no protesters were there at the time.
The plea contended that the alleged non-compliance with the apex court’s directions had crippled public life in Delhi and sought the immediate withdrawal of blanket restrictions on Metro and other railway services.
The contempt petition follows the Supreme Court’s order passed on Friday, when a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana directed that there should be no complete stoppage of Metro train services ahead of the proposed protest.