Rajasthan HC holds late-night hearing, stays arrest of 10 councillors before civic polls
Synopsis
Days before Rajasthan's mayoral and chairperson elections, the High Court sat through the night — from 10 p.m. to the early hours of Monday — to shield 10 councillors from arrest. The extraordinary sitting, convened on the Chief Justice's directions, underscores how high-stakes the indirect civic elections have become, with allegations that late-night FIRs are being used as a tool of political pressure.
Key Takeaways
The Rajasthan High Court held a special late-night sitting from 10 p.m. on Sunday, 21 September into the early hours of Monday.
Interim protection from arrest was granted to nine councillors from Hanumangarh and one councillor from Bikaner .
The hearing was convened on directions of Chief Justice Dr Sanjay Kumar Agrawal ; Benches were headed by Justice Nupur Bhati (Hanumangarh) and Justice Sunil Beniwal (Bikaner).
Mayoral elections in Jaipur , Jodhpur , and Kota are scheduled for 25 September .
Independent MLA Ganesh Bansal was reportedly arrested in Bikaner in a 23-year-old land case .
The court also stayed arrests of councillors Tejpal Mirdha (Nagaur) and Sushil Meedha (Shrivijaynagar) earlier on Sunday.
The Rajasthan High Court held an extraordinary late-night hearing late on Sunday, 21 September 2026, sitting from approximately 10 p.m. until the early hours of Monday to grant interim protection from arrest to 10 councillors — nine from Hanumangarh and one from Bikaner — ahead of the state's upcoming civic body elections. The special sitting was convened on the directions of Chief Justice Dr Sanjay Kumar Agrawal, who constituted special Benches to hear the urgent petitions.
Why the Court Sat Through the Night
Petitions were filed by several councillors and candidates who expressed apprehension that cases registered against them shortly before the civic body elections could result in arrests, preventing them from participating in the polls. The petitioners sought urgent interim protection, arguing the timing of the police action was politically motivated. The court, responding to the urgency, constituted special Benches to hear the matters before the elections.
What the Benches Decided
In Hanumangarh, a special Bench headed by Justice Nupur Bhati heard the matter and granted interim stay on arrest to nine councillors. The civic body in Hanumangarh has 60 seats, of which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 15; around 32 councillors from the camp of Independent MLA Ganesh Bansal reportedly won the local elections. Bansal himself was, according to reports, arrested in Bikaner in connection with a land case dating back 23 years.
In Bikaner, a Bench headed by Justice Sunil Beniwal at around 11.15 p.m. granted protection from arrest to Congress councillor Maqsood Ahmed. Ahmed's advocate, Dr Sachin Aacharya, submitted that police had summoned the councillor in an old case, and that the action could prevent him from participating in the voting for the chairperson's post scheduled for Monday.
Earlier on Sunday, the court also ordered an interim stay on the arrest of councillor Tejpal Mirdha in Nagaur and Sushil Meedha from Shrivijaynagar.
The Political Backdrop
The developments come at a highly charged political moment across Rajasthan. Elections for mayoral posts in the Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota municipal corporations are scheduled for 25 September, while chairperson elections are simultaneously being held in several other Urban Local Bodies. These are indirect elections, meaning the outcome depends on which party or bloc can secure the support of elected councillors — making every councillor's presence and freedom to vote a high-stakes political asset.
Allegations have surfaced from political parties that councillors are facing pressure through cases registered against them, though these claims have not been independently verified. The court's own late-night sitting has drawn attention precisely because of its timing, coming just days before leadership elections are due.
What Happens Next
The interim protection granted is not a final ruling on the merits of the cases against the councillors; full hearings are expected to follow. The mayoral elections in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota on 25 September will now play out with the protected councillors able to participate, at least for now. Political parties across the spectrum will be watching whether further petitions are filed before those elections.
Point of View
And the timing makes the political subtext impossible to ignore. Indirect civic elections are won or lost on councillor headcounts, and a well-timed FIR can effectively disenfranchise a bloc without a single vote being cancelled. The court's rapid response is a safeguard, but it also reveals a worrying pattern: election-eve cases against elected representatives are increasingly becoming a feature of Rajasthan's political landscape, not an aberration. Whether the cases against these councillors have genuine merit will only emerge in full hearings — but the damage to electoral integrity, even from the perception of coercion, is already done.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Rajasthan High Court hold a late-night hearing on 21 September?
The Rajasthan High Court sat through the night on 21 September after councillors filed urgent petitions seeking protection from arrest, fearing that cases registered against them could prevent their participation in civic body elections. Chief Justice Dr Sanjay Kumar Agrawal directed the constitution of special Benches to hear the matters before the elections.
Which councillors were granted protection from arrest?
Nine councillors from Hanumangarh and one Congress councillor, Maqsood Ahmed, from Bikaner were granted interim protection from arrest. Earlier on Sunday, the court also stayed arrests of councillors Tejpal Mirdha in Nagaur and Sushil Meedha from Shrivijaynagar.
When are the Rajasthan civic body elections scheduled?
Chairperson elections in several Urban Local Bodies were scheduled for Monday, 22 September. Mayoral elections in the Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota municipal corporations are scheduled for 25 September 2026.
What is the political significance of the Hanumangarh civic body?
The Hanumangarh civic body has 60 seats. The BJP holds 15 of those seats, while around 32 councillors are reportedly from the camp of Independent MLA Ganesh Bansal, who was himself arrested in Bikaner in connection with a land case dating back 23 years.
Does the court order mean the councillors are cleared of the cases against them?
No. The interim protection is only a temporary stay on arrest pending further hearings; it does not adjudicate the merits of the underlying cases. Full hearings are expected to follow once the immediate electoral emergency has passed.
