Supreme Court Convenes Rare Sunday Sitting Overn Contempt petition on Opposition Detentions and Delhi Transit Shutdown

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KalimNews with inputs from Agencies, Oct 10, 2026, Delhi In an extraordinary weekend intervention, the Supreme Court of India is scheduled to assemble for a special sitting on Sunday, October 11, at 10:30 AM to take up two high-profile petitions arising from the mass demonstrations organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the national capital. 

The court will address a constitutional habeas corpus challenge against the preventive custody of several high-ranking political figures alongside a contempt petition targeting key administrative and transport officials for an alleged blanket shutdown of Delhi’s commuter transit networks.

While preliminary reports suggested the bench could be headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, the official cause list confirms that a special two-judge bench comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana will preside over the urgent hearings.

The constitutional challenge, filed under Article 32 by Senior Advocate and Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Menaka Guruswamy, seeks the immediate release of opposition leaders, lawyers, and journalists rounded up by police ahead of the agitation at Jantar Mantar. The demonstration had been called to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. 

Guruswamy’s petition contends that preventive detention cannot serve as an administrative instrument to suppress the fundamental right to peaceful assembly, emphasizing the legal implications of detaining leaders who have governed states. Among those held are four former Chief Ministers: Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi, Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala, and Manik Sarkar of Tripura, who were intercepted across transit points or taken from residences before reaching the demonstration site.

Simultaneously, the bench will hear a contempt petition brought forward by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi against Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Chairperson D Thara. 

The plea accuses the administrative heads of deliberate disobedience toward the apex court’s explicit directives issued on Friday, October 9. In that earlier hearing, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Bagchi and Mohana, had cautioned authorities against using disproportionate force, remarking that law enforcement "should not use a hammer to kill a fly." The court had drawn a strict legal boundary between regulating movement for public order and imposing an outright prohibition, directing the Centre to ensure essential transport was not completely choked and mandating the public dissemination of transit and traffic advisories.

Despite these judicial directives and assurances provided by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that restrictions would be reassessed, Tripathi’s petition asserts that public life across the National Capital Territory remained severely paralyzed throughout Saturday. Although the DMRC reduced its closure announcement from 57 to 45 stations, key stations such as GTB Nagar and Vishwavidyalaya reportedly had locked entry gates well into Saturday evening, rail cancellations persisted, and internet connectivity was suspended around Jantar Mantar. 

The contempt petition alleges that these widespread disruptions amounted to an intentional subversion of the court's mandate, urging the bench to summon the respondents to explain why punitive contempt action should not be initiated. As the special bench convenes on Sunday, both matters will undergo intensive scrutiny to balance administrative law-and-order measures with citizen mobility and constitutional protest rights.