Taking note of the police brutality on a young woman in Punjab and a peaceful protest by teachers in Bihar, the Supreme Court on Wednesday took cognisance of the two incidents demanding the respective State Governments to explain how the “unwarranted” police action was allowed to go unpunished.
Attaching news clippings of a young unarmed woman being beaten mercilessly with lathis and fists by Punjab Police personnel along with another incident that showed brutal lathicharge by police against contractual teachers in Patna demanding regular wages, the bench of Justices GS Singhvi and Ranjana P Desai felt that the two events amounted to “gross violation of human rights” as well as of constitutional rights of citizens.
The Court asked Attorney General GE Vahanvati to assist the Court on the constitutional questions involved. “These incidents raise important constitutional issues relating to Article 21 of the Constitution and dignity of individual,” it said.
A day after the incidents were reported from Taran Taran and Patna, the administration remained insensitive to the public outrage while the police defended its action by shifting the blame on the victims. “Both the incidents have shocked the conscience of the entire nation,” the Court observed. “Unfortunately, the administrations of the Governments of Punjab and Bihar have not taken adequate steps for protecting the people against the wholly unwarranted action taken by the police at Taran Taran and Patna,” it added.
The Court appointed senior advocates Harish Salve and UU lalit to assist as amicus curiae in the hearing of the case fixed for Monday. The bench directed that the matter be placed before the Chief Justice of India for listing the matter before an appropriate bench.