Rare Sunday Special Sitting at Supreme Court: Bench to Hear Contempt Plea Over Delhi Metro Shutdowns and Train Cancellations

New Delhi: In an unusual weekend move, the Supreme Court has scheduled a special Sunday sitting for October 11 to hear a contempt petition alleging blatant defiance of its directives regarding the shutdown of Delhi Metro stations and the cancellation of passenger trains in the national capital.The emergency hearing comes after public transport restrictions continued across the city despite explicit orders from a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant prohibiting a complete ban on transit services.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana had passed an order on Friday, October 9, in the MA Baby vs Union of India matter.The apex court had observed that communications issued by the Delhi Police directing the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to shut down 57 stations and canceling Mail and Express trains arriving at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations appeared "overreaching".The court ruled that while authorities could regulate crowd movement proportionally, there must be no outright prohibition on public transport.

Contempt Petition Claims Direct Defiance of Orders

The contempt plea contends that police and transport authorities proceeded with blanket closures regardless of the judicial order, severely crippling public life and trapping commuters across the capital.

Key facts detailed in the petition:

• Locked Station Gates:Metro stations such as GTB Nagar and Vishwavidyalaya had their entry gates locked as early as Thursday night, forcing commuters through manually regulated exit routes.
• DMRC Announcements:DMRC issued public notices closing entry and exit at dozens of key stations, later adjusting the shut count from 57 to 45 stations.
• Overreaching Directives: Police orders directing DMRC closures and railway train cancellations effectively enforced a total transportation blackout.
• Sunday Hearing:The Supreme Court convened the special Sunday bench to urgently address compliance failures and examine contempt against responsible officials.

Commuter Agony and Urgent Judicial Intervention

The ongoing transit curbs were enforced in response to planned demonstrations in central Delhi. However, the petition highlights that closing major transit hubs inflicted widespread hardship on ordinary citizens, officegoers, and long-distance rail passengers trying to reach major railway terminals.

The petitioner has sought immediate directions to revoke blanket prohibitory orders on public transport and ensure that all metro lines and passenger train services run on regulated schedules with transparent public notice.The Supreme Court's Sunday review will evaluate whether official agencies violated constitutional boundaries and failed to follow court directions.