# Supreme Court contempt plea over Delhi transit shutdown

> An advocate files contempt proceedings against officials for maintaining a blanket metro and transit ban ahead of anti-CEC protests, defying a court order to regulate rather than prohibit.
- Title: Supreme Court contempt plea over Delhi transit shutdown
- Summary: An advocate files contempt proceedings against officials for maintaining a blanket metro and transit ban ahead of anti-CEC protests, defying a court order to…
- Keywords: supreme court, contempt petition, delhi metro, transit shutdown, anti-cec protest, chief election commissioner, gyanesh kumar, shailendra mani tripathi, delhi police, october 10 protest, news, politics
- Source: The Hindu — https://thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/anti-cec-protest-contempt-plea-filed-in-supreme-court-on-continued-transit-shutdown-in-delhi/article71567164.ece
- Author: The Hindu Bureau
- Published: 2026-10-10T05:24:26+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: supreme court, contempt petition, delhi metro, transit shutdown, anti-cec protest, chief election commissioner, gyanesh kumar, shailendra mani tripathi, delhi police, october 10 protest, news, politics
## Advocate files contempt plea
Advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court on Saturday, October ninth, twenty twenty-six, over a continued blanket shutdown across transit corridors in Delhi.
## Court order allegedly violated
The petition says the shutdown violates the Supreme Court's October ninth order, which emphasised authorities must not cause hardship to ordinary commuters through a blanket ban.

> the authorities must not cause any hardship or suffering to ordinary commuters through a blanket ban
## Metro stations closed for security
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation announced that entry and exit gates at fifty-seven stations would remain closed from nine p.m. on October ninth, twenty twenty-six, until further notice, citing security reasons.
## Tripathi's background in protests
Tripathi is the lead petitioner who moved the Supreme Court on police action against youth protestors on July twentieth during the NEET-UG paper leak protests.
## Three officials named in contempt plea
Tripathi has sought a judicial order to initiate contempt proceedings against Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Chairperson D. Thara.
## Blanket shutdown cripples the capital
The petition alleges the shutdown has severely crippled public life across the National Capital Territory, stranding essential travelers and amounting to an intentional attempt to undermine court authority.

> deliberately maintained a blanket shutdown across transit corridors, persisted with unwarranted train cancellations
## Court mandated regulation, not prohibition
The Supreme Court had recorded that there shall be no outright prohibition on metro movement or essential railway transit, and authorities were mandated to switch from blanket prohibition to proportionate regulation.
## Traffic advisories not published
The petition states that any regulatory framework and traffic advisory was required to be widely published across print and digital media immediately, but this did not occur.
## Protests target Chief Election Commissioner
The October tenth protests are calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and the Supreme Court order was issued ahead of and during these demonstrations.
## Court seeks compliance within four days
In its October ninth order, the apex court sought compliance reports from the authorities within four days, setting a deadline for officials to respond to the court's directions.
## Key takeaway

Advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court on October ninth, twenty twenty-six, alleging that Delhi authorities violated a court order by maintaining a blanket transit shutdown ahead of October tenth protests calling for the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation.