'Don't waste our time, we won't watch videos': CJI rejects plea over CJP protest police action

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to urgently hear a plea challenging the alleged police action against students during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest march in Delhi, with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant making sharp remarks while refusing to entertain the matter.  

The plea was mentioned before a bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. Appearing for the petitioners, the counsel urged the court to list the matter urgently, claiming students had allegedly faced police brutality during the protest.

'I have the videos as well regarding police brutality... If it can be listed tomorrow (Thursday)... students are there,' the lawyer submitted, adding that the petition contained three prayers. 

The CJI, however, made it clear that the bench was not inclined to examine video footage at the mentioning stage.

'We are not interested in videos; we don't have time to watch... We don't want to watch videos,' the CJI observed.

When the counsel once again referred to the alleged assault on students and sought to rely on video evidence, the CJI remarked, 'Don't waste our time. We don't want to watch any videos.'

The plea pertains to the police action during the CJP's protest march to Parliament on Monday, the opening day of the Monsoon Session.

Thousands of students and young protesters had gathered in central Delhi demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities.

The protest turned violent after clashes broke out between demonstrators and security personnel. Police used lathis and tear gas to disperse crowds attempting to march towards Parliament, with several protesters alleging excessive use of force.

Soon after the hearing, CJP leader Abhijit Dipke reacted to the CJI's remarks on social media. Sharing a post carrying the Supreme Court's observations, Dipke captioned it: '????????????'.

His post quickly gained traction online, adding a fresh political dimension to the controversy over the police action and the court's refusal to urgently hear the plea.