Police to HC: Will ensure orders against protest in residential areas are complied with in future

New Delhi: The police on Monday assured the Delhi High Court that it will ensure that its own standing orders and judicial decisions prohibiting protests in residential areas would be complied with in future.

The submission was made by the police before the high court while informing it that the mayors and councilors of the municipal corporations who were protesting outside the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal since December 7 have ended their agitation.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva was hearing a plea by the Civil Lines Residents Association seeking contempt action against Delhi Police for permitting a protest in a residential area leading to barricading of roads there in violation of a 2017 high court direction to prevent dharnas in residential areas and to keep the roads clear for the general public. The high court said since the agitation was over and in view of the assurance given by the police, no further orders are required and disposed of the plea.

During the brief hearing, Delhi government additional standing counsel Gautam Narayan, appearing for the police, told the court that the state disaster management authority's direction prohibiting gatherings till December 31, the agency's own standing order barring protests in residential areas and a similar 2017 order of the Delhi High Court were provided to the protestors who subsequently called off the agitation.

The high court on December 18 had observed that if the state disaster management authority (DDMA) has prohibited political and other gatherings in the city till December 31 due to COVID-19, then the protestors outside Kejriwal's residence ought to be evicted.

The high court had said it expected the police to take appropriate steps to implement the direction of the DDMA and also the provisions of section 144 IPC which has been imposed in the area where the chief minister's residence is located. It had said that if no action is taken for violation of the DDMA direction, then it will send out an "incorrect signal". DDMA's November 28 order prohibits till December 31 all social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious, political functions or other gatherings throughout the national capital to prevent the spread of COVID-19.