In an unusual development, the Delhi High Court has decided to convene a special sitting on Sunday to hear urgent habeas corpus petitions concerning allegations of illegal detention by the police.

The matter was mentioned before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, who agreed to take up the petitions considering the urgency involved in cases affecting personal liberty.

The petitions claim that several individuals were allegedly detained by the Delhi Police Special Cell without following due legal procedure. The petitioners approached the High Court seeking immediate judicial intervention and requested the Court to direct the authorities to produce the detained individuals before the Court.

The counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that the detainees were being held without being formally arrested or produced before a magistrate within the prescribed time under law. It was argued that such detention violates constitutional safeguards and procedural requirements under criminal law.

Considering the nature of the allegations, the Bench agreed to list the matter for urgent hearing on Sunday, noting that cases involving unlawful detention directly impact the fundamental right to personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

A writ of habeas corpus is a constitutional remedy that allows a court to examine the legality of a person’s detention and ensure that no individual is deprived of personal liberty except in accordance with the procedure established by law.

Special sittings of constitutional courts outside regular working days are rare but may be convened when extraordinary urgency or potential violation of fundamental rights is involved.

During the hearing, the Court is expected to examine the legality of the alleged detention and determine whether the authorities acted in compliance with the constitutional and statutory safeguards governing arrest and detention.