The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday issued a string of directives to ensure the normal functioning of Delhi Metro and railway services, free movement of commoners and uninterrupted internet access, in the thick of an intense security crackdown in the national capital over protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

As per the top court, public transport services should operate on a normal basis unless a law-and-order situation necessitated curbs. It further ordered authorities to review barricades, ensure that internet services remain uninterrupted in accordance with the law, and keep unlawful detentions at bay.

The directives came from the judiciary almost a day after sweeping restrictions had been brought into force on public transport and movement, in view of Saturday’s protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and allied groups.

SC’s key directives

During a special hearing conducted on Sunday, an SC bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana considered plea and contempt pleas challenging the curbs enforced in Delhi.

The court issued the following orders:

Delhi Metro and railway services must operate normally unless restrictions become necessary to address a law-and-order situation.
Free movement of people must be permitted, subject to traffic regulations.
Authorities must review barricades in light of the prevailing law-and-order situation.
Internet services must remain uninterrupted in accordance with the law.
The movement of people across the city must be facilitated within the legal framework.
No person shall be detained illegally.
Lawyers must not be obstructed from discharging their professional duties.

Furthermore, the bench recorded the government’s assurances and sought an affidavit which detailed the restrictions, along with a map identifying the metro stations that had been shut down.

Solicitor General Tushra Mehta, representing the government, informed the SC that internet services had already been restored and that all Metro stations had begun functioning again.

Metro reopens after 25-hour-long closure

Late on Saturday, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) confirmed that all stations and interchange facilities had resumed operations following a security-related closure lasting as much as 25 hours.

Acting upon the security requests, Metro entry and exit gates at 45 major stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Mandi House and New Delhi, had remained shut from Friday night until 10 pm on Saturday.

As another restriction, mail and express trains slated to arrive at New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Stations between 4 am and 2 pm on Saturday had been cancelled at their originating stations.

Moreover, authorities also enforced prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), putting a restriction on gatherings.

Heavy security deployed amid fresh calls for protest

More than 3,000 people, including prominent political leaders, had been detained across Delhi on Saturday as security forces sealed off the principal demonstration site, Jantar Mantar. The CJP and the allied student, as well as left groups had called for a stir demanding CEC Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Despite the crackdown initiated on Saturday, the CJP renewed calls for agitations on Sunday.

As many as 30,000 cops, coupled with 200 companies of paramilitary forces, had been deployed at sensitive locations, city borders and areas surrounding Parliament Street.