Clarifying that no petition had been filed in the Supreme Court on CJP protests, Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Friday took strong exception to media reports that said he had refused to list a petition against alleged police brutality on CJP protesters for urgent hearing.
It was widely reported by the media that CJI Surya Kant on July 22 refused to list a petition against alleged police excesses on student protestors.
Dismissing such reports as "completely false" and “reckless", the CJI said, there was no petition filed and it was only a representation.
"In the last two days, a completely false statement was made that a matter was filed… and the media is absolutely free from all responsibility… falsely reporting that the Chief Justice (of India) refused to list the matter. Till 10 am, not a single page has been filed. It was one representation... sent by that... Mishra (advocate Narendra Mishra) or someone. How can I treat the representation as a writ petition? And people start recklessly reporting this," CJI Kant said.
A mere representation could not have been treated as a writ petition in the absence of any formal filing, the CJI said after senior counsel Shoeb Alam mentioned another case for urgent listing.
"Please don't waste our time and don't waste yours," a Bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana had told advocate Narendra Mishra after he mentioned his letter petition against alleged police brutality during the CJP protests here on July 20 demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over NEET paper leaks.
The students were raising important issues such as proper conduct of the NEET exam and reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA), Mishra had said.
"Student protest is going on at Jantar Mantar... Police are taking brutal actions... I have the videos as well regarding police brutality... If it can be listed tomorrow... students are there,” Mishra – who had sent a letter petition to the CJI on the issue had said.
"We are not interested in videos; we don't have time to watch… Thank you very much,” the CJI had told Mishra, cutting him short.
Several protesters were injured when the police used tear gas and lathi charge to disperse them after they tried to march to Parliament on Monday – the first day of the monsoon session.