Posting the matter for hearing tomorrow, the CJI said that the matter will be heard only if the rioting and violence stop.

The Supreme Court has taken strong note of the violence and destruction of public property during protests by students of the Jamia Millia Islamia university against the Citzenship Amendment Act. Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, hearing a plea to take cognisance of the violence by the Delhi Police against protesting students, said the Supreme Court cannot be held to ransom. Posting the matter for hearing tomorrow, the CJI said that the matter will be heard only if the rioting and violence stops, adding that the court was not against people protesting and taking to the streets, provided it was done in a peaceful manner.

The plea filed by senior advocate Indira Jaising mentions the incidents at Jamia Millia Islamia as well as the Aligarh Muslim University before the bench headed by the CJI SA Bobde. The plea urged the top court to take suo motu cognisance, observing that its a case of serious human rights violations across the country.

The CJI, while hearing the case said as per ANI, “We will determine the rights but not in the atmosphere of riots, let all of this stop and then we will take suo motu cognisance. We are not against rights and peaceful demonstrations.”

When an advocate told the court that there are videos available of the incidents, the CJI said the court did not want to see the videos and that it would not hear the case if violence and damage to public properties continue.

Earlier in the day, a group of Jamia Millia students stood shirtless outside the university gates in the cold weather to protest against the police action last evening. Some of them even took a small march demanding a CBI inquiry in the matter

“Our colleagues have been beaten up badly. The policemen entered bathrooms, libraries and beat up girls. Our protest is against the goons called Delhi Police,” a research scholar told PTI.

In the wee hours today, close to 50 students, detained during yesterday’s protests at the Jamia Millia Islamia University, were released. While 35 of them were released from the Kalkaji police station, 15 were from New Friends Colony police station.

Protestors last evening torched as many as four public buses, two police vehicles during a clash with the police in New Friends Colony, during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, leaving several students and cops injured. The police used batons and teargas to disperse the mob. It has denied firing at them.