Can't lathicharge just because of agitation: Supreme Court's big remark

In a significant development amid the growing debate over alleged police excesses on protesters during the recent wave of student protests, the Supreme Court on Monday orally observed that a lathi-charge cannot be launched merely because of agitation.A bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, made the observation as a fresh batch of petitions regarding alleged use of excessive force on protesters in various parts of the country were mentioned before it. One of the petitions has been filed by a group of students who claim they were beaten during the protests.The entire batch of pleas has been listed for hearing on Tuesday, July 28. One of the petitions also alleged that AK-47 rifles were used against protesters in Bihar's Siwan. "We will list all these matters tomorrow.... Every citizen should be protected. If there are excesses committed that should be prevented. There should be protocols. It's not only about Delhi. Agitation has been held in various places. It cannot be merely because there is an agitation, you do a lathicharge," CJI Surya Kant remarked orally. This is a developing story. It will be updated.- EndsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Jul 27, 2026 11:02 IST