Incensed by the recent instances of police brutality on a hapless woman in Punjab and striking teachers in Bihar, the Supreme Court on Monday sought to know from all States and Union territories the status of police reforms that the apex court had ordered to carry out seven years ago.
After taking suo moto cognisance of the two incidents last week, the apex court’s latest move is aimed at sensitising the police force and State Governments, as it was perturbed over the attempt by top cops to justify such “animal behaviour” without fixing any accountability on superior officers.
Issuing notice to DGPs of States, Police Commissioners of Union Territories, Chief Secretaries and Home Secretaries of all states/UTs, the bench of Justices GS Singhvi and Kurien Joseph sought progress report on the pending case of police reforms ordered by apex court in 2006 in Prakash Singh’s case. The Court asked Singh, a former DGP, to participate in the proceedings. Giving reference to the Punjab incident where a lady who came to report about sexual harassment by truck drivers on a highway was mercilessly slapped and whipped with lathis along with her aged father, the bench said, “Are we becoming a senseless societyIJ”
Shocked on how male policemen battered the woman in Punjab and lady teachers in Bihar, the bench said, “In our tradition, even pushing a woman is not accepted. And here the way sticks were wielded by policemen on women is shocking.” Though the Punjab Government covered its back by suspending two of the accused cops, the bench sought to know what reason it had to attack the woman. “Was she a terrorist that you were beating her on the highway,” the bench asked. When the counsel informed of a magisterial inquiry ordered into the case 21 days after the incident, the bench replied, “That enquiry will be given a funeral. Don’t throw sand and mud in everyone’s eyes. This is British style of functioning.”
Attorney General GE Vahanvati felt the court was justified to proceed against the ‘lathi-happy’ cops. He was asked to address the constitutional questions relating to protection of life, liberty and dignity of a citizen affected by such police action.