Supreme Court orders no illegal detentions and normal metro service, yet Delhi detentions go on as the CJP vows to return to the streets
The Supreme Court sat on Sunday and issued directions on how Delhi handles the protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar: no illegal detention of people gathering peacefully, normal metro and rail service, no internet shutdown, and removal of a Section 163 board near the Court (Mint, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, LawChakra). Bar and Bench reports a prima facie case of contempt over the metro restrictions; Mint reports a contempt notice over the alleged breach of the 9 October order. LawChakra reports notice on a habeas corpus plea over about 7,000 detentions. Hindustan Times says about 100 people were still held at Connaught Place, and The Hindu and Hindustan Times say journalists were detained. Delhi Police registered 20 FIRs (The Hindu, Hindustan Times) and served notices on CJP leaders (The Economic Times). Abhijeet Dipke was released and says the protests will go on (Hindustan Times, Mint, The Economic Times), and a dispute over his grandmother's funeral continues (The Hindu, Hindustan Times).
Two questions are being tested at once: whether the state can close public transport and hold thousands before a protest has happened, and whether police obey a court order in practice. The answers will shape how any large protest in India is handled.
If you travel in central Delhi, check metro and traffic advisories before you leave; The Economic Times reports curbs for 13 October too. Elsewhere in India there is no direct effect, though protests and detentions were also reported in Mumbai and Goa.
The right to assemble is a basic freedom. Mass detentions, closed stations and cut internet punish people who have done nothing, and the Court's order shows the limits were crossed.
The authorities say large, leaderless crowds can turn violent, as the assaults on police and protesters show, and that order has to be kept in a capital city.
The Court has spoken; the next test is compliance. Watch whether Delhi Police explain the Connaught Place detentions to the bench, whether the contempt notice gets a reply, and what the CJP does with the date it asks for. Every crowd and detention figure so far is one side's claim.
DailyDrop India edition No. 8 · Morning · MON., OCT. 12, 2026