रामलीला मैदान घटना मामला
| Citation | (2012) 5 SCC 1 |
| Court | Supreme Court of India |
| Date | 23 February 2012 |
| Year | 2012 |
| Bench | B.S. Chauhan, Swatanter Kumar JJ. |
| Acts/Articles | Article 19(1)(a), Article 19(1)(b), Article 21, CrPC Section 144 |
| Category | Constitutional Law |
Key Principle Established
Right to peaceful protest and assembly is a fundamental right. Police use of force against sleeping protesters at midnight was unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the police action on 4-5 June 2011 at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, where police used force at midnight against sleeping protesters during Baba Ramdev’s anti-corruption protest after imposing Section 144 CrPC.
The Court held that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b). The midnight police action against sleeping citizens was unconstitutional and disproportionate. Section 144 orders must be based on genuine necessity and cannot be used to suppress legitimate democratic protest.
This judgment reinforced the constitutional protection for peaceful protest and set limits on the use of Section 144 CrPC to suppress democratic dissent.
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Read AnalysisThis judgment summary is for educational and research purposes. While care has been taken to accurately represent the ratio and findings, for authoritative reference always consult the original judgment text from official sources (SCC Online, AIR, Manupatra, or court websites).
22+ years of practice before Punjab & Haryana High Court and Supreme Court of India.