New Delhi: A Connaught Place restaurant’s petition seeking to stop the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) Tiranga Yatra and secure compensation for alleged protest-related business losses will be considered alongside a related pending case after the Delhi High Court declined an urgent hearing.
Advocate Umang Tyagi, speaking about the petition, said the matter would be taken up on October 29. The court noted that it was already dealing with a related matter and would hear the fresh petition along with that case.
The plea challenges the proposed gathering at Central Park in Connaught Place. It also seeks to prevent other unauthorised protests, demonstrations or assemblies in the market and asks that organisers compensate shopkeepers for losses allegedly suffered during a demonstration.
Restaurant Cites Business Losses, Seeks Restrictions on Protests
Tyagi said the petition had been filed by a prominent restaurant in Connaught Place, citing substantial financial losses caused by protests.
He referred to an October 10 demonstration and said industry chambers had estimated losses of ₹200 crore for shopkeepers and restaurants in and around Connaught Place.
That figure, as cited by Tyagi, concerns businesses across the area collectively, rather than losses suffered by the petitioning restaurant alone.
The advocate also referred to another protest called for October 16 at Central Park, saying the petition sought both to prevent demonstrations near the establishments and to obtain compensation.
“We have filed this petition for two reasons: first, to prevent protests near these establishments; and second, to seek compensation,” Tyagi said.
Compensation Demand Relies on Supreme Court Judgment, Says Advocate
Explaining the basis of the compensation request, Tyagi cited a 2019 Supreme Court judgment.
According to his account of that judgment, participants in protests held at unauthorised locations may be required to compensate people whose livelihoods are affected.
The petition’s compensation request concerns losses allegedly caused to shopkeepers during the demonstration. The ₹200-crore estimate was attributed by Tyagi to industry chambers; his statement did not present it as compensation awarded by the court.
Petition to Be Heard With Related Matter on October 29
Tyagi said the matter had been mentioned before the High Court for an urgent hearing. The court noted that an order had been passed in similar petitions the previous day and indicated that this petition would be considered with the pending case.
“Our matter will now be taken up on October 29,” he said.
The court’s refusal to take up the plea urgently concerns the timing of its consideration, rather than a final decision on the requests to stop the gathering or award compensation.
