The Delhi High Court has issued notices to all 140 candidates who contested the Delhi University Students’ Union elections over alleged violence during campaigning and barred victory processions, while seeking details of police and university action in the matter.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tejas Karia expressed concern over incidents in North Campus, including alleged convoys of vehicles without number plates and candidates standing on car roofs and bonnets. The court questioned how such activity was allowed despite the deployment of police personnel.
During the hearing, the bench said the vehicle convoys could create a sense of fear, intimidation and dominance. It asked the Deputy Commissioner of Police what steps had been taken to stop them. The police told the court that vehicle checks were being carried out continuously.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma informed the bench that a status report had been filed on the action taken by the Delhi Police. According to the report presented in court, 998 challans had been issued in connection with people visible in videos, while notices had been served on those shown in the footage. The authorities also indicated that vehicle registration certificates would be seized where required. Six first information reports had been registered and four people had been arrested. One person had also been removed, according to the report presented during the hearing.
The authorities said that 5,737 traffic challans had been issued for violations including defective vehicles and driving without licences. The court also sought information about an alleged assault on professors. When the bench was told that students had attacked a professor, it asked whether the university authorities had been informed about the action and what disciplinary steps had been taken. Delhi University said show-cause notices had been issued to the students.
The court criticised the university administration over the recurrence of such incidents. The bench observed that the problem was occurring year after year without sufficient change and questioned how a student could slap a professor after winning an election. It said electoral victory should make a person humble. Delhi University’s counsel apologised and said the candidates would be examined, but the bench questioned what such an examination would achieve after the incidents had already taken place.
The court has issued show-cause notices to the candidates and notices to student organisations on the question of collective compensation for damage. Lawyers appeared for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the National Students’ Union of India and the ASAP student organisation. The ASAP representative denied involvement in disorder, after which the bench asked for photographs showing one of its candidates standing on a vehicle roof.
The High Court directed Delhi University and other responsible authorities to take all possible preventive measures to ensure compliance with the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations and the court’s earlier orders on student elections. It also directed the Delhi Police, the university and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, along with other departments, to act immediately against violations and prevent damage to public property. Victory processions will remain barred in view of the violence during the election campaign.
