The Uttarakhand High Court questioned the legality of Prabhat Dhyani’s detention before the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march
July 21, 2026: The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday strongly criticised the state police over the detention of Uttarakhand Parivartan Party president Prabhat Dhyani, who was travelling to New Delhi to participate in activist Sonam Wangchuk’s “Sansad Chalo” march. A bench comprising Justices Ravindra Maithani and Siddhartha Saha questioned the legal basis of the detention and directed the state government to explain its action. The government informed the court that Dhyani had since been released.
During the hearing, the bench expressed serious concern over the police’s conduct, asking whether the force was protecting the government’s image instead of safeguarding citizens’ constitutional rights. The court also questioned the state’s jurisdiction to detain Dhyani in Uttarakhand when any alleged violation related to the protest would have occurred in Delhi. According to the habeas corpus petition, Dhyani was detained at Rishikesh railway station on July 19 while travelling to join the Parliament march organised by Wangchuk. The petition also alleged that his family was not informed of his whereabouts after the detention.
In a related development, the Delhi High Court agreed to hear on Wednesday a public interest litigation alleging that Delhi Police used excessive force against protesters during the Parliament march. The petition, mentioned before Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, claims that the police response was disproportionate and seeks judicial intervention. The court is expected to examine the allegations and the reliefs sought during the scheduled hearing.