Ashish Joshi files Delhi High Court PIL on CAPF deployments
A former civil servant, Ashish Joshi, has taken the issue of heavy police presence at protests in Delhi to the Delhi High Court.
He has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) asking why so many Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are being used and whether these repeated extensions, now running until November 16, are actually legal.
The concern is that this could be making it harder for people to gather and protest peacefully, which is a basic constitutional right.
Petition seeks CAPF numbers and accountability
Joshi's team wants the government to come clean about how many personnel are actually deployed and how it affects regular security work.
They argue that any further extension should only happen if there is a real need, not just by default, so that everyone's rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21 are respected.
The petition also stresses sticking to principles like necessity and accountability when deciding on such large-scale deployments.