The Delhi High Court on Thursday pulled up the police over the alleged torture and illegal detention of several activists, including students, last month. The court stressed that legal procedures must be followed, particularly in cases involving grave allegations.
Court's Observations
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja directed police investigators to either take proper action in the matter or face the possibility of the case being referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“When someone makes an allegation against someone, will you just pick her up? We are not going to allow this. If you had some material to suspect them (the activists), you have a procedure prescribed in law… If you did not, we will ask the police commissioner to order an inquiry. We are concerned with the procedure. The Constitution says the procedure is prescribed by the law,” the bench orally observed.
“Tell us that action has been taken, or else we will… We are not going to express any opinion, but we will say that the allegations are very serious and this (the case) has to be referred to CBI,” the court remarked.
The court pointed out that there were serious allegations of torture, which could not be a means of interrogation. “You may be investigating a terrorist angle, but if you pick up someone, you have to follow the procedure,” it said.
Police Report Rejected
The High Court's observations came after it examined a report filed by Delhi Police in a sealed cover, in which the cops denied all allegations. The court said it was not satisfied with the report and directed that the entire case file be placed before it on May 19.
The court is dealing with a batch of petitions concerning the alleged illegal detention of several activists by police after they were “picked up” from outside Dayal Singh College and Vijay Nagar in March this year.
Petition Details
A plea has been filed by the younger sister of one Lakshita Rajoura, who alleged that she and other students were abducted and taken to an unmarked building in New Friends Colony. According to the petition, 10 people, including six students from different colleges of the capital, two labour rights activists, and anti-displacement activists, were illegally detained by police between March 12 and 14 this year.
Some of these students were previously booked in a case related to allegedly raising pro-Maoist slogans at India Gate during an agitation against soaring air pollution last year.
Police's Defense
Police had earlier said the allegations of custodial torture and illegal detention were concocted and motivated to derail an ongoing investigation into the activities of the activists that were “linked to Maoists”. In a counter-affidavit filed before the High Court, the special cell of Delhi Police asserted that the protesters were called for “lawful questioning” in connection with an FIR registered in July 2025.
Police claimed that the activists are associated with outfits like Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch, which they alleged are platforms for “anti-national” and “Naxalite” content. “No illegal detention, abduction, coercion, or torture, as alleged, has ever taken place. The allegations are highly exaggerated, contradictory and devoid of any material proof, and appear to be an afterthought to exert pressure upon the investigating agency,” according to police’s reply.
Delhi Police maintained that the interrogation was conducted in a professional manner in the presence of female staff. According to it, the probe stemmed from a case involving the disappearance of a woman who had been “brainwashed and indoctrinated by individuals associated with Maoist ideologies”.
