Delhi High Court PIL Challenges Mass CAPF Deployment for Protest Duties

Former civil servant Ashish Joshi has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court challenging the alleged large-scale deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for protest-related public order duties in the national capital, according to reports by news agency Press Trust of India (PTI).

According to the petition, filed through lawyers Ambuj Dixit and Amrish Ranjan Pandey, the case questions the legal and administrative basis of the deployment and its repeated extensions. It seeks judicial scrutiny regarding whether coercive actions meet constitutional requirements of necessity, proportionality, and accountability under Articles 14, 19, and 21.

Key Demands in the Petition

• Disclosure of Records: The petition asks authorities to reveal requests made by the Delhi Police and sanction or extension orders issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Deployment Details: It seeks force-wise and date-wise figures on approved companies, sanctioned strengths, personnel mobilised to Delhi, and those assigned specifically to protest duties.
• Operational Impact Assessment: The filing requests details on how the deployment affects counter-insurgency, border security, election preparedness, and disaster response.
• Written Protocols: It calls for a formal written protocol governing substantial CAPF deployments for protests and seeks restrictions on extensions beyond November 16 without a fresh, reasoned assessment.

Background Context

According to Joshi's statements on social media platform X, initial approvals covered 301 companies, with 273 companies extended until October 31, 2026, and a further 270 companies extended until November 16, 2026. Central Delhi has experienced protests since June and July involving opposition parties, student groups, civil society members, and the Cockroach Janta Party over issues including the functioning of the Election Commission.

The PIL urges the court to declare that deploying CAPFs to assist civil administration does not automatically authorise personnel to disperse peaceful gatherings, detain people solely for participating in protests, or use force without independent legal justification.