New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the Central government not to completely suspend Metro and train services ahead of the October 10 protests called by the CJP and Opposition parties against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The court observed that there is a clear distinction between a complete ban and the regulated operation of public transport. It instructed the authorities to ensure that Metro and railway services continue in a controlled manner while issuing public advisories to minimize inconvenience for commuters.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the bench that he would request the concerned authorities to operate transport services in a regulated manner. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana was hearing multiple petitions challenging restrictions imposed ahead of the planned demonstrations. Several organisations have alleged that protesters and volunteers were detained in different states before the protest, while reports also indicated that some train services were cancelled and several Delhi Metro stations were scheduled to remain closed.

In a separate matter, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea seeking an investigation into FIRs registered against students who participated in the July Jantar Mantar protests. The bench said its earlier decision to quash the FIRs under Article 142 of the Constitution had taken into account the future of the young students involved. The Chief Justice observed that the court did not want students to suffer long-term consequences or repeatedly appear before courts, emphasizing that the petition effectively challenged the Supreme Court’s own earlier order.