SC Bar Associations Condemn Police Action Against Students, Lawyers at Jantar Mantar
"The association stands in solidarity with all those injured and reiterates its commitment to protecting constitutional rights, human dignity and the rule of law," it said.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Wednesday sought a judicial inquiry into alleged police action during protests by students and lawyers at Jantar Mantar on July 20.
SCBA president Vikas Singh wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, alleging that police resorted to an “unprovoked and disproportionate” lathi-charge on protesters, causing injuries to students, lawyers, journalists and medical personnel.
"I address this representation with profound concern over a dual administrative collapse that strikes at the core of our constitutional democracy: the unlawful and disproportionate police violence inflicted upon peaceful student assemblies, and the failure of state machinery in conducting various national examinations fairly," he said.
Citing media reports and eyewitness accounts, Singh alleged that police personnel struck protesters on the head, used excessive force, deployed tear gas, dismantled a hunger strike, and assaulted journalists and doctors attending to the injured.
"Reports published verify that male police officers lathi-charged female protesters and minors, including a 16-year-old student who sustained injuries," he said, adding that several personnel were allegedly without mandatory name badges.
The SCBA chief said the alleged action violated Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution, provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and judicial norms on minimum use of force.
"Targeting of Non-Protesting Medical Teams and Brutality on Injured Patients: Eyewitness testimony and ground footage establish that police intentionally attacked medical doctors and healthcare personnel who were neither protesting nor chanting any slogans, but purely administering first aid," he said.
Singh also linked the protests to alleged irregularities in national examinations, stating that repeated paper leak incidents had eroded public confidence.
He urged the Centre to set up a time-bound judicial commission headed by a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge to examine both the police action and examination-related issues. He also sought suspension of the Delhi Police commissioner, registration of FIRs against officials concerned, and accountability within the Ministry of Education.
The demands relate to protests on Monday, when students seeking the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities attempted to march to Parliament and were dispersed by security personnel using tear gas and batons.
Earlier, the SCBA passed a resolution condemning the alleged police action and called for an impartial, time-bound inquiry.
"The use of excessive and disproportionate force against peaceful students and members of the Bar is deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable in a democratic society…The Association stands in solidarity with all those injured and reiterates its commitment to protecting constitutional rights, human dignity and the rule of law."