Taking suo motu cognisance of yoga guru Baba Ramdev's eviction incident, the Supreme Court on Monday directed Union Home Secretary G. K. Pillai, Delhi Police Commissioner B. K. Gupta and Delhi Chief Secretary P. K. Tripathi to explain the circumstances under which the people at Ramlila Maidan had to be forcibly dispersed in the early hours of Sunday.
A vacation Bench of Justice B.S. Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar, acting on media reports, directed the three respondents to file personal affidavits in two weeks.
The Bench said it was dismissing a writ petition filed by advocate Ajay Agarwal. “However, the brutal force that was used by the police to disperse innocent people who had gathered at Ramlila Maidan in furtherance of the permission granted by the State is a matter of concern for the Court.”
According to the Bench, Mr. Agrawal had placed before it articles/news items published in the media which depict the ‘sad state of affairs and brutality of the state in dealing with its innocent citizens.'
“Thus we, suo motu, issue notice to the Home Secretary-Union of India, Chief Secretary-Delhi Administration and the Police Commissioner of Delhi to show cause and file their personal affidavits within two weeks from today explaining the conduct of the police authorities and the circumstances under which such power with brutality and atrocities was asserted against a large number of people who had gathered at Ramlila Maidan. List immediately thereafter before the Vacation Bench which is available. The said articles/news items are taken on record and copies thereof shall be sent by the Registry along with the notice to the noticees.”
The court took exception to Mr. Agarwal leaking the contents of the petition to the media before the court could hear the matter. Justice Chauhan told him that the petition was vague and unnecessary parties had been cited.
Mr. Agarwal had said that the police action on innocent people while they were asleep was nothing but gross violation of their fundamental rights.
The police crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his supporters took place when nothing untoward had happened and there was no room for any suspicion that there might be a law and order problem, he said.
PTI reports:“Pained” by the media reports and complaints alleging “unconstitutional police action” against Baba Ramdev's supporters, the National Human Rights Commission asked the Union and Delhi governments on Monday to submit reports within two weeks.
The NHRC issued notices to the Union Home Secretary, Delhi Chief Secretary and the city Police Commissioner, asking them to explain the police action.
