The prolonged closure of several metro stations in the national capital amid mounting protests by students has now reached the Supreme Court (SC). The Chief Justice of India (CJI), Surya Kant said on Thursday that he would personally intervene if the disruption continued beyond lunchtime.

Metro shutdown disrupts access to court

The apex court got a hang of the issue after the social media platform Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) intensified its student-led protest at Jantar Mantar, prompting authorities to shut multiple metro stations across central Delhi, owing to security concerns.

As many as 16 metro stations remained closed on Thursday, including the Supreme Court metro station, causing disruption in the commute of lawyers, court staff and litigants. The closures have continued for several days as the demonstrations picked up pace, affecting thousands of daily commuters.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Vikas Singh raised the matter before the SC bench, underscoring the hardships faced by advocates and Registry Staff, many of whom were unable to reach court on time in light of the Metro restrictions.

Commuters in Delhi facing hardships due to metro closure

Bar Assn seeks practical solution

While listing the issue before the CJI, Singh proposed a practical arrangement that would allow authorised personnel to use the SC Metro Station despite the restrictions being in force.

He suggested that the passengers alighting at the station could undergo security screening at the exit, after which only those persons carrying a valid Supreme Court proximity card or Registry identification should be permitted to leave the premises. All other passengers, as per him, could remain on the train and continue to the next station.

According to Singh, such an arrangement would maintain security while ensuring that court proceedings were not adversely affected by the transport disruption.

CJI assures timely intervention

Responding to the concerns raised before the bench, CJI Kant informed that bar that the SC administration had already engaged in discussions with the Delhi Metro authorities to resolve the issue.

He then assured the lawyers that if the station remains closed until lunchtime, he would personally step in to resolve the issue. Furthermore, he clarified that no adverse judicial orders be passed during the day against advocates who were unable to appear before courts owing to the Metro closures, providing temporary relief to members of the legal fraternity affected by the disruption.