1. What Triggered the Crisis?
The unrest began when demonstrations led by student organizations at Jantar Mantar escalated into a march toward Parliament. Law enforcement—including Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF)—deployed force, tear gas, baton charges, and reportedly pellet guns to disperse the crowd.
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Allegations of Excesses: Petitioners alleged the use of extreme measures (such as pellet guns and spiked batons), resulting in severe injuries to protesters.
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Police Stance: Authorities maintained that anti-social elements infiltrated the crowd, causing violent clashes and injuring officers on duty.
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The police response triggered widespread outrage, leading to a batch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed in the Supreme Court.
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2. What the Supreme Court Ordered on FIRs & Protesters
A Supreme Court Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana issued key directives regarding the FIRs and police actions:
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A. States Can Withdraw FIRs
The Supreme Court clarified that the Delhi Government and other state governments are at complete liberty to withdraw or close FIRs registered against peaceful protesters.
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While earlier orders protected individuals without a criminal record, the court narrowed this exception to cover only those facing charges for grave and heinous offences.
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B. Protection & Release of Minors
The court ordered the immediate release of all minors detained during the unrest across various states.
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It barred police from taking coercive action against students and peaceful demonstrators.
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C. Comprehensive Protocol on Force & Crowd Control
Raising serious concerns over reports of pellet gun usage, the Bench stated it would lay down a national standard protocol detailing when and how crowd-control measures like pellet guns can be deployed.
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Authorities were directed to preserve all electronic evidence, including CCTV footage, drone recordings, body-cam footage, and wireless logs.
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3. Is Jantar Mantar Losing Its Status as a Protest Hub?
Alongside the FIR hearings, the Supreme Court took up a separate PIL questioning whether Jantar Mantar is still suitable for mass gatherings.
