Over 500 alumni of the National Law School of India University have put their names to a statement that calls the police action during the October 10 protest unlawful and asks for an impartial inquiry; it carries no response from the police.
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New Delhi: Asking for an impartial inquiry into instances of excessive use of force against civilians, the NLSIU Alumni Association has called the police action against peaceful protestors during the October 10 protest “arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional”. The statement is signed by over 500 alumni of the National Law School of India University.
What the statement sets out are the alumni’s allegations and demands. It does not carry any response from Delhi Police or the authorities, and the allegations in it are untested.
Where The Supreme Court Stands
The statement follows a special Sunday sitting of the Supreme Court on petitions over the same events. The Bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana directed that there shall be no detention save by procedure established by law and issued notice on the contempt petition. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta disputed the contempt allegations and told the Court that a statutory regime was followed on the detentions. The Court has made no finding on the merits.
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Lawyers At The Receiving End, The Alumni Say
The alumni said they were disturbed by the treatment of lawyers who were protesting peacefully near the Supreme Court area, and stated that lawyers were prevented from accessing detention centres. The statement states that more than 10,000 people were detained across the country.
“We are deeply disturbed by the use of force against lawyers peacefully protesting near the Supreme Court area”
The statement refers to NLSIU alumnus Shadan Farasat (2006 batch), who it says was detained and physically manhandled while rushing to stop the illegal detention of a peaceful protester. Farasat appeared before the Supreme Court on Sunday and told the Bench that he had been picked up and thrown into a moving bus. The alumni asked:
“if a Senior Advocate can be subject to arbitrary police action, what hope from the law can an ordinary citizen have?”
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The Legal Basis And The Ask
The statement relies on the rights to protest and to associate under Article 19(1), subject to reasonable restrictions, and argues that the State cannot arbitrarily detain people exercising them. It also invokes the right to legal aid and access to justice under Article 21 and says lawyers have an obligation to assist those facing detention.
The alumni urged that an impartial inquiry be held into excessive use of force against civilians, and sought an investigation into the denial of access to justice and the general lack of proportionality in official and police action in handling the protests.
The allegations of excessive force and illegal detention are untested, and no view is expressed on their merits.
Statement Details: Statement of the NLSIU Alumni Association, signed by over 500 alumni, issued after the October 10, 2026 protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.