New Delhi, Oct 11 : The Supreme Court on Sunday directed that barricades across Delhi be removed and held that internet services cannot be shut down, even as the Centre informed the court that internet services had been restored and Metro operations were fully normal.
Hearing a batch of pleas challenging restrictions imposed during the Delhi protests, the bench asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to submit a map indicating which Metro stations were closed and which remained open during the protests, seeking clarity on public accessibility.
The court noted that while 57 stations were initially proposed for closure, 45 were eventually shut, and questioned how commuters could access stations if those in the middle of a route were closed despite stations at either end remaining open.
The Solicitor General told the court that all Metro stations had reopened by 10 pm on Saturday and that internet services had been restored. The court asked whether there were any restrictions on Metro services and said it would take the government’s assurance on record, while directing the Centre to respond to all petitions. In the meantime, Metro services must operate on their normal schedule, subject to lawful public-order restrictions under Article 19(2).
Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy told the Supreme Court that when the plea was filed, an internet shutdown had made it difficult to establish the exact number of political leaders, journalists, lawyers and ordinary citizens detained amid the Delhi protests. Stressing that the matter went beyond the detention of individual leaders, she said, “This is not a habeas for one political leader or 10 MPs, or three former CMs. It’s a habeas for the Constitution.”
Guruswamy added that the court had assembled on a Sunday morning because “something graver is at stake”. (KNS)
