The Delhi High Court has summoned the Delhi Police in response to allegations of unlawful surveillance targeting demonstrators gathered at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

The court has sought clarification on whether Supreme Court guidelines were strictly followed during the round-the-clock recording of videos and photographs of protesters participating in events organized by the Facebook-based platform Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

The development was reported by the Indian news outlet NDTV on Monday, July 20.

According to the report, protests have been ongoing at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Ghosh (Dharmendra Pradhan) and protesting against question paper leaks.

Aishe Ghosh, former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSSU), filed a petition in the High Court alleging constant surveillance of the demonstrators.

The hearing took place on Monday before a bench comprising Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia.

During the proceedings, counsel for the protesters argued that a permanent surveillance tower had been set up at Jantar Mantar following the commencement of the demonstrations on June 20. It was alleged that personal moments—such as eating, resting, and receiving medical treatment—were being photographed and recorded from the tower.

Furthermore, the petition claimed that police intentionally filmed women protesters when their clothes became wet in the rain, constituting a violation of fundamental rights. In a 2017 ruling, the Supreme Court of India declared privacy to be an integral part of life and personal liberty.

Appearing for the Delhi Police, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta denied the allegations of surveillance, maintaining that video recordings at Jantar Mantar are conducted solely for the purpose of maintaining law and order rather than conducting surveillance.

However, the High Court has demanded a clear explanation as to whether specific Supreme Court directives were properly adhered to in this matter.

The court has scheduled the next hearing of the case for Tuesday, July 21.