The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant an urgent hearing on a petition seeking reforms to the national eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET) and raising allegations of police excesses against student protesters in Delhi, while the Delhi High Court, hearing two public interest litigations (PILs) challenging the police crackdown on demonstrators, issued notices to the Union government and Delhi police. Amid the legal developments, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) strongly condemned the alleged use of excessive force by the Delhi police and called for an independent inquiry into the incident.
The developments came amid nationwide protests led by students and activists of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online satirical collective, demanding accountability for repeated examination paper leaks, reforms in the examination system and the resignation of Union minister of education Dharmendra Pradhan.
The petition was mentioned before a Bench comprising chief justice of India Surya Kant and justice Joymalya Bagchi and justice V Mohana.
Appearing for the petitioner, a lawyer sought an urgent listing, claiming there was video evidence showing police excesses against students protesting at Jantar Mantar.
"Student protest is going on at Jantar Mantar. Police are taking brutal actions..." the counsel submitted.
The Bench, however, was not persuaded to take up the matter urgently.
"Please don't waste our time and don't waste yours. Your time is more valuable than ours," chief justice Kant remarked.
The lawyer informed the Court that the petition sought several directions, including ensuring that NEET examinations are conducted fairly and the dissolution of the national testing agency (NTA) in view of repeated allegations of examination paper leaks.
Even after the Court moved to the next matter, the counsel attempted to draw its attention to videos allegedly depicting police action against students.
The chief justice declined, saying, "We are not interested in videos. We don't have time to watch."
While the apex court refused an urgent hearing, the Delhi High Court (HC) agreed to examine two PILs questioning the police action against protesters in the national capital.
The petitions were mentioned before a division bench of chief justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia.
Seeking an urgent hearing, counsel for the petitioners argued that the alleged police action had deeply disturbed the public conscience.
"This incident has shaken the conscience of the nation," the lawyer submitted.
The HC bench observed that the incidents flagged by the petitioners were not isolated and that the Court cannot ask the affected parties to lodge a private complaint.
"Had it been an isolated incident, the situation would have been different. You (police) may have been correct in asking them to go to the police to lodge a private complaint. But this is not such an (isolated) incident," the Court said.
The mention came a day after a similar request for urgent listing had also been made before the High Court.
Students from across the country have been protesting in Delhi over alleged irregularities in public examinations, including repeated paper leaks. Demonstrators have demanded greater accountability in the conduct of competitive examinations and sought the resignation of the Union Education Minister.
The protesters had announced plans to march towards Parliament earlier this week. Delhi Police stopped the march before it could proceed, following which clashes reportedly broke out.
According to media reports, police used lathis and tear gas to disperse the crowd, resulting in injuries to several protesters.
The protests have also drawn political attention. On Tuesday, Congress leaders, including leader of the opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, staged a demonstration outside prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi's residence. During the protest, several leaders were detained, while Gandhi Mr reportedly sustained minor injuries during the scuffle with police personnel.
The police action has also prompted strong reactions from the legal fraternity.
SCBA issued a resolution condemning what it described as a brutal lathi charge on peaceful students and said several members of the legal profession were also injured during the incident.
"The Supreme Court Bar Association strongly condemns the brutal lathi charge on innocent students, which resulted in several students sustaining serious injuries. Members of the legal fraternity, including members of the SCBA, were also injured during the incident."
The association said the alleged use of excessive and disproportionate force against peaceful demonstrators was unacceptable in a democratic society and called for an immediate, impartial and time-bound inquiry to identify those responsible and initiate action in accordance with the law.
It also urged the authorities to ensure proper medical treatment for all injured students and lawyers while taking steps to prevent similar incidents in future. The SCBA expressed solidarity with those injured and reiterated its commitment to safeguarding constitutional rights, human dignity and the rule of law.
SCAORA also voiced concern over reports and visuals showing police action against students and young protesters.
The association emphasised that peaceful demonstrations are protected under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the Constitution and observed that any restriction imposed by the State must satisfy the constitutional tests of legality, necessity and proportionality.
"In a constitutional democracy, peaceful dissent is not an act of defiance but an exercise of the fundamental freedoms guaranteed under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the Constitution. While the State is empowered to maintain public order, every restriction on these freedoms must satisfy the constitutional requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality. The burden of justifying any use of force against citizens exercising their constitutional rights always rests upon the State," the association said.
Referring to Supreme Court decisions in Himat Lal K Shah vs Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad and Ramlila Maidan Incident, SCAORA stressed that police action against peaceful assemblies must conform to constitutional standards.
The association also called for an independent and impartial inquiry into allegations of excessive use of force, immediate medical assistance for those injured and greater reliance on dialogue and restraint while dealing with peaceful demonstrations.
"The strength of our Republic lies not in suppressing dissent but in protecting it within the framework of the Constitution. The true measure of constitutional governance is not how the State responds to agreement, but how it responds to peaceful disagreement. At moments such as these, adherence to constitutional liberties remains the surest safeguard of the rule of law," the statement said.
The Cockroach Janta Party movement traces its origins to oral observations made by chief justice Surya Kant during Supreme Court proceedings on 15 May 2026, when he expressed concern over unemployed youth gravitating towards social media activism and RTI-related activities. The remarks subsequently led to the formation of the satirical collective, which has since become one of the groups spearheading protests over alleged examination irregularities and demands for systemic reforms.
"Even after the Court moved to the next matter, the counsel attempted to draw its attention to videos allegedly depicting police action against students"
But the advocate continued to insist that the court to watch the videos. The is not proper etiquette on the part of the lawyer.