Delhi court rejects CJP legal head Ratna Singh's plea for FIR against police

A Delhi court has dismissed an application by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) legal affairs head Ratna Singh seeking the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against police officers who allegedly detained her at her residence.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abhinav Pandey, sitting at Saket Courts, ruled on Saturday that Singh's plea was not maintainable in its current form. The court observed that the application failed to specify the jurisdiction in which the alleged offences occurred, named no individual public servants, and was not accompanied by a supporting affidavit to verify the claims.

Addressing a separate prayer in the plea that sought her immediate release from custody, the magistrate noted that the court could only exercise such powers upon receiving a formal complaint made on oath, which had not been provided.

What happened outside Ratna Singh's home

According to the plea filed through advocate Adit S Pujari, Singh was preparing to travel to the Supreme Court with advocate Tara Narula and two other colleagues on Saturday morning to join a lawyers' demonstration. The protest was directed against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Singh alleged that two vehicles blocked her car from the front and rear as she sat outside her house. Police personnel then stood around the vehicle, refusing to explain the legal basis for restricting her movement. In video footage shared by the party, Singh said that when she asked officers for an official notice, they stated they were acting on "orders from above".

Describing the action as wrongful restraint and unlawful confinement, Singh told the court that she faced a direct threat to her liberty and safety.

Chief Justice intervenes after lawyer detentions

The action against Singh coincided with broader police operations across the capital on Saturday as the CJP called for demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and near the Supreme Court. Police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel intercepted groups of protesting lawyers near the top court, detaining several and taking them to the Yamuna Sports Complex.

The detentions prompted emergency action from the Supreme Court Bar Association, which sent an urgent message to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. Following the Chief Justice's communication with the relevant authorities instructing that the lawyers be set free, police released the detained advocates. Singh was released later on Saturday evening.