Delhi High Court rules protest participation does not prove criminal intent

The Delhi High Court has ruled that mere participation in a protest is insufficient to establish a common intention to disobey police directions or obstruct law enforcement. Justice Sanjeev Narula made this observation while quashing a First Information Report (FIR) against an SSC aspirant.

The case involved an individual booked by Delhi Police for allegedly failing to disperse from Ramlila Maidan during a protest regarding alleged irregularities in SSC entrance examinations. While the prosecution alleged that protesters disobeyed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the court found that the FIR and subsequent status report failed to attribute specific criminal conduct to the petitioner.

The court emphasized that criminal liability must be based on demonstrable acts and legally required intention rather than mere association with a gathering. The ruling highlights the distinction between exercising democratic rights to dissent and committing unlawful acts such as deliberate obstruction or violence.