Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan alleged before the Supreme Court on Monday that senior advocates were dragged through the streets during the Delhi protests, and asked for early listing of a writ petition challenging Section 163 BNSS restrictions. CJI Surya Kant said every member of the Bar has the right to take part in peaceful activities at identified locations. The allegations are untested.
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New Delhi: Asking the Supreme Court to send a strong message to the police, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan on Monday told the Court that senior advocates had been physically dragged through the streets during the ongoing Delhi protests, and urged that a writ petition challenging Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) restrictions be listed the following day. [Title and number of the writ petition awaited]
He made the submissions before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, mentioning the writ petition as Item 811. According to him, it challenges the position that no public order under Section 163 was available at all, along with the vires of one of the provisions.
The Mention
“Item 811 is also a writ petition, which may be taken up tomorrow with the other batch.”
“This concerns the ongoing protests and the fact that no public order under Section 163 is available at all. We have challenged that. We have also challenged the vires of one of the provisions.”
What He Told The Bench About The Police
His account was that senior advocates were dragged through the streets, others were detained in buses, and people carrying lathis attacked children while the police did not step in. All of this is his submission and is untested, and no response from Delhi Police or the Union on these specific allegations has been reported.
“At a time when our senior advocates are being physically dragged through the streets, Mr Farasat was dragged through the streets. It was most unseemly. It should never have happened.”
He went on to note that the Court had repeatedly asked petitioners to cooperate and exercise restraint:
“I know the Court has repeatedly said that we must cooperate and exercise restraint. I would hope that the Court says the same to the police.”
“That has not come from this Bench so far. I hope that happens because of the police excesses and the hooligans running around with sticks and lathis.”
The Chief Justice Replies
The CJI said he did not wish to say anything at this stage on the Supreme Court premises, but asked that the Court not be allowed to become a site of disruption. Sankaranarayanan answered that this was not his concern. The CJI then said:
“Every lawyer, every member of the Bar, has the right to be part of peaceful activities, wherever the identified locations are.”
Where It Stands
No order has yet been passed on the request to list the Section 163 BNSS challenge. What is recorded here is counsel’s side alone; no view is expressed on its merits, and the report will be updated once the Court orders.
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Case Details: Writ petition challenging Section 163 BNSS restrictions (Item 811; title and number awaited), Supreme Court of India, mentioned on 12 October 2026. Before: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant (other Bench members not reported).
Appearances: Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan for the petitioner.