The Delhi High Court directed the response to be filed by October 16 while posting the matter for further consideration on October 22. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Delhi Police in a plea by the Leh Apex Body seeking permission for climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar until October 23. Taken up by a division bench of Justices Prathiba Singh and Amit Sharma after the petitioner made an urgent mention before a bench of Chief Justice Manmohan on Wednesday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the urgency expressed by the petitioner, submitting that there was no urgency for holding the dharna and march, and that time may be granted to the police to file their response to the petition.

The bench directed the response to be filed by October 16 while posting the matter for further consideration on October 22. The petition contended that the police were “suppressing their fundamental right” by denying the activists permission to hold a peaceful demonstration, which was intended to highlight significant social issues as an expression of dissent. Last week, the Delhi High Court disposed of three petitions seeking the release of Wangchuk and other detainees and the quashing of the prohibitory orders after they were detained at the Singhu border. Wangchuk and about 150 others kicked off a foot march from Leh to Delhi on September 1 to make a representation to the Union government on October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. They sought environmental protection, Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, statehood, and greater democratic representation. Prior to their detention, the Delhi Police had issued orders prohibiting the assembly of five or more people. The three petitions were withdrawn after the police submitted to the court that the detainees had been released and the prohibitory order had been withdrawn.