Taking strong exception to recent incidents of police beating protesting contractual teachers in Bihar and a girl in Tarn Taran in Punjab, the Supreme Court on Wednesday sought explanation from the two states on the conduct of police personnel.
Taking suo motu cognisance of media reports, a bench of justices G.S. Singhvi and Ranjana Prakash Desai directed the two state governments to respond on Monday on the allegations of police brutality.
The bench asked Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati and senior advocate Harish Salve to assist the court in dealing with the issue. It posted the matter for further hearing on March 11.
On March 4, a woman was thrashed by Punjab police constables when she had approached them along with her father for lodging a complaint against harassment by a truck driver and his accomplices in Tarn Taran district.
In another incident, Bihar Police had on Tuesday resorted to a baton charge and fired tear gas shells during a protest by contractual teachers outside the Assembly in Patna demanding regularisation of their jobs and pay parity with regular teachers.
