Supreme Court orders preservation of protest CCTV footage and production of the Section 163 BNSS order

16 October 2026

A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed law enforcement agencies to preserve the CCTV footage and other digital material collected in connection with the Delhi protests, and permitted private parties to preserve such material as well. The bench asked Delhi Police to produce the prohibitory order passed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita before the protests. Notice was issued to the Union Government and Delhi Police on the batch of petitions, and both sides were asked to appoint nodal counsel to consolidate overlapping issues. The Court told the Bar not to file further petitions on the protests because 46 matters were already pending. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the Union and Delhi authorities.