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Chief Justice Refuses Congress Meeting, Points to Article 32

By Drooid · Oct 12, 2026, 4:40 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Chief Justice Refuses Meeting

Chief Justice Surya Kant refused Congress leaders' request to meet on Oct 12, 2026.
He said Delhi law-and-order protests fall outside his judicial domain.
Kant urged any citizen or official to file a petition under Article 32.
He warned that meeting on pending cases would breach the separation-of-powers doctrine.
Delhi deployed over 20,000 security forces and closed 45 metro stations.

Summary

Surya Kant Demands Release

Chief Justice Surya Kant urged authorities after the SCBA alert, prompting lawyer releases.
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan said police dragged Shadan Farasat through streets.
Advocates Dinesh Dwivedi and Uttara Babbar were detained inside buses during protests.
SCBA resolution demanded Chief Justice Surya Kant locate detained lawyers and provide assistance.
Tuesday’s bench will examine complaints that children were hit with lathis in demonstrations.

History

Historical Context

During the 1975-76 Emergency, the Supreme Court’s ADM Jabalpur judgment (April 1976) held that habeas-corpus petitions could not be entertained, with a 4-1 majority led by Chief Justice A.N. Ray and justices P.N. Bhagwati, Y.V. Chandrachud, and M.H. Beg; Justice Hans Raj Khanna dissented. Today Chief Justice Surya Kant’s refusal to meet Congress leaders revives those debates on judicial independence.

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Chief Justice Refuses Meeting

Chief Justice Surya Kant refused Congress leaders' request to meet on Oct 12, 2026.
He said Delhi law-and-order protests fall outside his judicial domain.
Kant urged any citizen or official to file a petition under Article 32.
He warned that meeting on pending cases would breach the separation-of-powers doctrine.
Delhi deployed over 20,000 security forces and closed 45 metro stations.

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