Criticizing brutal lathicharge on junior doctors by the state police in mid night, the lucknow bench of Allahabad High court said it is not permissible in a civilized society and on Thursday directed the state government to lodge an FIR against the MlA Kanpur.
The bench comprising Chief Justice, DY Chandrachud and justice DK Upadhyaya issued the aforesaid directive on a PIl filed by social activist Dr Nutan Thakur regarding doctor’s strike in UP. Expressing displeasure, the court said that judicial commission formed in this regards shall specially look at this aspect.
The court also directed the state government to take strict action against the accused policemen and immediately initiate a departmental probe against them. The court further directed to release the doctors who are in police custody and asking an inquiry be initiated on the earlier order. The court further said that the compensation will be given to the victim doctors deducting amount from salaries of the accused policemen and it will be subject to an outcome of the inquiry.
On behalf of the state, principal secretary Home Anil Kumar Gupta stated before the court that ESMA had been revoked in compliance of the court’s order and junior doctors of Kanpur had resumed their work. He informed an FIR against MlA Irfan Solanki had already been registered and the SSP, Kanpur had been removed from his post.
Earlier, the petitioner appeared in person before court and presented two You-tube video links in which police was seen using unwarranted force on the unarmed junior doctors. The Court showed concern particularly as regards the way a Professor and two medical students were mercilessly beaten by police.
In the morning hearing, the Court directed the Principal Secretary Home Anil Kumar Gupta and Principal Secretary Medical Education B S Bhullar to be present in Court at PM to apprise about the situation. These officers told in the Court that the doctor’s strike is over. After hearing them, the Court said that any FIR given by a medical student against the MlA or policemen shall be immediately registered. It said that all these cases shall be personally supervised by the DGP.
The Court said that it is the common people who are real suffer of these incidents and the government shall be very sensitive about these matters. The next date of hearing is on 10 March.
It may be noted that on March 5, the lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, on Wednesday, directed the state government to conduct a judicial inquiry asking the government to ensure transfer of senior police officers including the SSP, Kanpur immediately after taking a suo moto cognizance of news reports published in daily newspapers about the pan-state strike of junior doctors in State Medical Colleges and King George's Medical University following the misbehavior of an MlA of Kanpur with them.