The Delhi High Court has stayed the imposition of a ₹19,000 fine on each of eight Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students, observing that merely smiling at protestors or expressing support for a demonstration cannot, at this stage, be treated as an act of indiscipline.
Background
The students had approached the High Court challenging a show cause notice dated January 15, 2026, office orders dated February 2, 2026, and appellate orders dated March 30, 2026. The disciplinary proceedings arose from an incident concerning alleged vandalism of the University's Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) system.
According to the show cause notice, some students were alleged to have shaken camera stands and cheered, while others were accused of encouraging the alleged act through clapping and sloganeering. The students denied involvement and stated that, at most, they were seen smiling at the protestors.
Justice Jasmeet Singh observed:
"I cannot lose sight of the fact that the petitioners are students in the respondent University and as a student, the right to express dissent/demonstrate and/or to express support by way of cheering for a demonstration, to my mind, constitutes a valuable right which cannot be allowed to be curbed or interdicted in any manner."
The Court further held that even if the allegations in the show cause notice were presumed correct, merely being seen smiling at protestors did not constitute an act that could be categorised as indiscipline.
Finding that the students had made out a prima facie case and that allowing the penalty to operate could cause serious injury to their rights, the Court stayed the ₹19,000 fine imposed on each student until the next hearing.
The matter has been listed for January 12, 2027.
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