The Supreme Court on Monday said the right to peaceful protest is "absolutely guaranteed" as it agreed to hear on Tuesday a batch of petitions alleging police excesses against students protesting the NEET paper leak and other examination irregularities across the country.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also agreed to hear a separate plea filed by family members of police personnel who were allegedly attacked during the protests along with the other pending petitions.
“The Right to peaceful protest is absolutely guaranteed. That cannot be denied. Merely because there is agitation cannot justify police excesses,” the CJI said.
“Life of every individual irrespective of who they are is important,” the bench asserted when a lawyer said that police personnel were also beaten up.
“There should be a protocol in place. There should be proper space and no restriction. But if there are some anti-social elements etc that can be taken care of. This is not a question of Delhi only. Uniformity of protocol is needed,” the bench said.
(With inputs from PTI)
