Mr. Nitin Naresh v. Union of India Through the Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ors

TEJAS KARIA, J SEPTEMBER 16, 2026/MJ

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of Decision: 16.09.2026 # CNR No. DLHC010437762026 + W.P.(C) 13480/2026 MR. NITIN NARESH .....Petitioner Through: Petitioner in person. versus UNION OF INDIA THROUGH THE SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS AND ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Chetan Sharma, ASG along with Mr. Nishant Gautam, CGSC, Mr. Amit Kumar Rana, G.P., Mr. Amit Gupta, Ms. Kavya Shukla, Mr. Vineet Negi & Mr. Vibhav V. Nath, Advocates for Respondent Nos.1, 3 & 4. Mr. Sameer Vashisht, Standing Counsel (Civil) for GNCTD. CORAM: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TEJAS KARIA DEVENDRA KUMAR UPADHYAYA, CJ. (ORAL) 1. Heard the petitioner who appears in person. 2. The petitioner has invoked our jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India ostensibly in public interest, seeking a prayer to issue a direction to the respondents to consider and dispose of the representation said to have been made by him on 20.07.2026 by furnishing a reasoned and speaking reply within a period of two weeks. 3. Another prayer made in the writ petition is that the respondents be directed to preserve all CCTV footage, body worn camera footage, wireless logs, control room records, deployment records, detention records and all other electronic and official records relating to the events of 20.07.2026, pending disposal of his representation. 4. The representation dated 20.07.2026 in respect of which a prayer has been made for issuing a direction to decide the same has been annexed as Annexure – 10 to the writ petition which is addressed to the Hon"ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Hon"ble Union Minister for Home Affairs, Union Home Secretary, Commissioner of Police, Delhi. It is also addressed to the Director General, Central Reserve Police Force, Inspector General, Rapid Action Force, Director General, Railway Protection Force, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Chairperson/Secretary, Press Council of India, Director, Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Editor-in- Chief/Chief Executive Officer/Grievance Officer, ANI (which appears to be a news agency), Editors and grievance officers of the media organisations and Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission. 5. The representation inter alia states that in relation to certain crowd control action taken by Delhi Police on 20.07.2026, the Delhi Police recklessly issued a false and materially misleading statement which constitutes a grave institutional failure. The representation refers to a statement published by Delhi Police on its official X account on 20.07.2026 wherein it has been stated that, ―Some segments from media have mentioned sporadic use of violence/detention at Jantar Mantar by Delhi Police. It is informed that no such incident has taken place and protest is being handled professionally. All are requested not to fall prey to any rumour/misgivings, and, to assist Delhi Police in maintaining peace and public order at and around the site.‖ 6. The petitioner has submitted that the said statement is absolutely false which is belied by various media reports which reported that a clash involving RPF personnel took place and further that RPF personnel and police used lathis for crowd control. Certain other media reports have also been referred to in the said representation and accordingly, it has been stated that contradiction by Delhi Police statement published on its official X account vis-à-vis the media reports is dangerous and accordingly, it has been prayed that the petitioner be granted personal or virtual hearing by the authorities while considering the said representation and provide and Action Taken Report to him within 15 days and further take a reasoned decision on the prayers made in the said representation. 7. The very basis of the instant petition are the media reports which according to the petitioner contradict the statement published by Delhi Police on its official X account in relation to crowd control measures taken by the