New Delhi, 17 July (H.S.): The Delhi High Court has agreed to hear a petition filed by former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh challenging the continuous police camera surveillance of protesters participating in the ongoing demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.

Senior Advocate Nandita Rao, appearing for Aishe Ghosh, mentioned the matter before a Bench headed by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya on Friday, seeking an urgent hearing. The Court thereafter directed that the matter be listed for hearing on July 20.

The petition, filed through advocates Subhash Chandran and Anirudh K.P., states that the Delhi Police has been continuously monitoring protesters at Jantar Mantar through permanent surveillance cameras. It alleges that the surveillance continues even at night while women and girls are sleeping. The plea contends that the Delhi Police has no legal authority to subject protesters to such continuous camera surveillance.

According to the petition, Aishe Ghosh has been participating in the protest continuously since June 20. It further alleges that the Delhi Police has been recording videos of protesters even while they are eating and resting. The petition also claims that some student protesters have allegedly been threatened by police personnel, who warned that their photographs and videos would be sent to their parents and the educational institutions where they are enrolled. As a result, the petition states, many individuals have become reluctant to participate in the protest.

The petition further alleges that the Delhi Police recorded videos of women protesters even when they were drenched during heavy rainfall and had no place to take shelter at Jantar Mantar. It argues that such conduct amounts to a serious violation of their bodily privacy and dignity.

The plea also states that repeated queries were made to the Delhi Police seeking clarification regarding the legal authority or statutory provision under which such continuous surveillance was being carried out, but no response was provided.

Referring to the Supreme Court's landmark judgment in the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy case on the right to privacy, the petition contends that the Delhi Police's actions violate Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar