Delhi High Court to Hear PIL Over Police Excess Against Cockroach Janta Party Protesters

The Delhi High Court has agreed to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) that alleges police over‑reach during a recent protest by the so‑called Cockroach Janta Party. The matter was listed on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, and the bench has set the hearing for the very next day – Wednesday – although the exact calendar date isn’t spelled out in the report.

The two‑judge bench consists of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, who heads the High Court, and Justice Tejas Karia. Both judges were quick to remind the petitioners not to “drag the Court into all this,” yet they still granted an urgent hearing, signalling that the issues raised will not be brushed aside.

The petition claims that police employed “excessive force” against a crowd that had gathered as part of a “Parliament March.” The demonstrators, identified as members of the Cockroach Janta Party, were protesting in Delhi – near the Parliament and later at Jantar Mantar – to demand the resignation of the Union Education Minister over the fallout of a NEET exam paper‑leak scandal. The protests were also linked to climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been leading calls for reforms after the scandal broke.

In a related development, a separate PIL filed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Aishe Ghosh has alleged that the police were conducting systematic videography surveillance at Jantar Mantar. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared on behalf of the Centre, arguing that the recordings were purely for maintaining law and order and not a tool of intimidation.

While the court has scheduled the hearing, no details have emerged yet about what specific incidents of police excess are being cited – whether there were injuries, lathi‑charges, or other forms of force. Likewise, the name of the Union Education Minister whose resignation is being demanded was not disclosed in the article.

The outcome of the PIL remains pending, and observers say the hearing could set an important precedent for how protest‑related police actions are scrutinised in India’s capital.