Lawyers Were Hit Too: Supreme Court Bar Association Condemns Lathi Charge on Students, Demands Inquiry

New Delhi:  The Supreme Court Bar Association has passed a formal resolution on July 22, 2026 strongly condemning what it describes as a brutal and disproportionate lathi charge on peaceful student protesters, noting that members of the legal fraternity, including SCBA members, were also injured in the incident, and calling for an immediate, impartial and time-bound inquiry to identify and hold accountable those responsible.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has issued a formal resolution condemning a lathi charge on student protesters, expressing serious concern over the use of what it terms excessive and disproportionate force against both students and members of the legal profession, and demanding institutional accountability from the authorities concerned.

The resolution, bearing reference SCBA/EC.2025-26 and dated July 22, 2026, was signed by Honorary Secretary Ms. Pragya Baghel on behalf of the Association. It was passed in the context of a police action against student protesters, during which, the SCBA states, several students sustained serious injuries and members of the legal fraternity, including SCBA members themselves, were also injured.

“The use of excessive and disproportionate force against peaceful students and members of the Bar is deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable in a democratic society.” - SCBA Resolution, July 22, 2026

What the Resolution Says

The resolution opens with an unqualified condemnation of the lathi charge, describing it as “brutal” and stating that it resulted in several students sustaining serious injuries. The SCBA specifically notes that members of the legal fraternity, including its own members, were caught up in the police action and were injured.

The Association characterises the use of force as both excessive and disproportionate relative to the nature of the protest, and states that such conduct is “deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable in a democratic society.” The language of the resolution, invoking democratic norms and constitutional rights, signals that the SCBA is framing its objection not merely as a professional grievance but as a matter of constitutional principle.

The resolution makes four specific demands of the concerned authorities. First, it calls for an immediate, impartial and time-bound inquiry into the incident. Second, it demands that those responsible for ordering or executing the excessive use of force be identified. Third, it calls for appropriate legal action against them in accordance with law. Fourth, it urges that proper medical treatment and assistance be ensured for all students and members of the legal fraternity who were injured in the incident.

The SCBA additionally calls on the authorities to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. The resolution closes with a statement of solidarity with those injured, and a reaffirmation of the Association’s commitment to protecting constitutional rights, human dignity and the rule of law.

“The Association stands in solidarity with all those injured and reiterates its commitment to protecting constitutional rights, human dignity and the rule of law.” - SCBA Resolution

Context: The CJP Student Protests

The police action that prompted the SCBA resolution is linked to the ongoing protests by the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), a youth-led movement that has been agitating against repeated examination paper leaks in India’s competitive entrance examinations and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protests, centred initially at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, have attracted significant public and legal attention.

The same protest movement has been at the centre of related legal proceedings. Activist Sonam Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in solidarity with the CJP movement since June 28, 2026. On July 18, Delhi Police removed him from the site and shifted him to Safdarjung Hospital, a decision that the Delhi High Court examined in proceedings culminating in a July 21 order directing his transfer to Medanta Hospital, with the court holding that his right to choose his place of medical treatment was protected under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The SCBA’s resolution, passed the following day on July 22, adds the weight of the apex court’s bar body to the chorus of institutional voices expressing concern about the manner in which the protests and protesters have been handled by the authorities.

Significance of the SCBA’s Intervention

The Supreme Court Bar Association is the bar association of lawyers practising before India’s apex court, and formal resolutions by it carry institutional weight that goes beyond ordinary professional statements. The SCBA’s decision to put its condemnation of the lathi charge on record in a signed, referenced resolution, rather than merely issuing a press statement, reflects a considered institutional response.

Two elements of the resolution are legally and institutionally notable. The first is the explicit acknowledgment that members of the legal profession, including SCBA members, were injured in the police action. Injuries to lawyers in the course of a lawful protest raise distinct constitutional and professional concerns: lawyers have a recognised right to assemble and express solidarity with causes, and disproportionate force against them in that context strikes at the independence of the Bar.

The second is the Association’s specific demand for a time-bound inquiry with consequences, not merely an expression of displeasure, but a call for the identification of individuals responsible and legal action against them. This positions the SCBA’s resolution as a demand for accountability rather than a symbolic gesture, and may be expected to inform how the matter is taken up in legal and parliamentary forums in the days ahead.

Resolution Details

• Issuing Body: Supreme Court Bar Association (Regd.)
• Resolution Reference: SCBA/EC.2025-26
• Date: July 22, 2026
• Signed By: Ms. Pragya Baghel, Honorary Secretary
• President: Mr. Vikas Singh (Sr.)
• Condemnation: Brutal lathi charge on innocent students and members of the legal fraternity, including SCBA members
• Demands: Immediate impartial time-bound inquiry; identification of those responsible; legal action; medical assistance for injured; preventive measures