Delhi High Court Agrees to Hear Plea Seeking NIA Probe into ‘Sansad Chalo’ Protest

The Delhi High Court on Thursday agreed to urgently hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the July 20 “Sansad Chalo” protest held over the alleged NEET paper leak. The petition alleges that the demonstration was part of a larger conspiracy involving foreign-funded organisations and state-backed actors. The matter was mentioned before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela? (Correction: The source names Justice Tejas Karia.) The petition was placed before Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia by advocate Barun Kumar Sinha, who sought an urgent hearing, stating that the protest had severely disrupted normal life in the national capital. Accepting the request, the Bench directed that the matter be listed for hearing on Friday. According to the petitioner, the protest, which was initially projected as a student demonstration over the alleged NEET paper leak, later assumed a political character after leaders from several political parties joined the agitation. The petition further alleges that the July 20 march resulted in violence, disruption of public transport, attacks on journalists, damage to public and private property, attempts to breach Parliament's security, and injuries to police personnel. In view of these allegations, the petitioner has sought an independent investigation into the role of the protesters, organisers, and any alleged external influence. The PIL has been filed by Satish Kumar Agarwal, former Vice-President of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha. It also refers to the alleged involvement of social activist Sonam Wangchuk, claiming that publicly available material regarding his alleged links with foreign organisations should be examined by investigating agencies. The petition further states that institutional associations and funding sources connected with the protest should also be scrutinised. Claiming that the agitation was not a genuine student movement, the petitioner has alleged that it appeared to be a coordinated effort by anti-India and foreign-supported elements to exploit public unrest for a broader agenda. The petition also names author Arundhati Roy, contending that her past public statements on Kashmir raise questions regarding the objectives behind the protest. In addition, it alleges that several political leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Atishi, Dimple Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav, and Chandrashekhar Azad, took over the protest and influenced its direction. It further claims that they, along with their supporters, allegedly incited demonstrators to engage in violence and attempt to breach the Parliament complex. Arguing that the matter extends beyond a routine law-and-order issue, the petitioner has submitted that the alleged attempt to enter Parliament and the possibility of organised or external involvement warrant an investigation by a specialised national security agency. The PIL has requested the court to transfer all investigations related to the July 20 protest from the Delhi Police to the NIA or another specialised agency. It has also sought consolidation of all FIRs linked to the incident and directions to identify and prosecute those allegedly involved in violence, vandalism, disruption of emergency services, and damage to public and private property.