Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said on Friday that seeing police personnel assault students and other protesters at Jantar Mantar in July was “distressing” and “a matter of grave concern”.
His comments came days after he said students must not face punitive action for expressing a different opinion or asking questions.
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‘Very distressing to observe’: SC judge on police action against students
Justice Bhuyan reportedly made the remarks at the launch of “Policing the Republic”, a book by former secretary (security) Yashovardhan Azad. The event took place at Viceroy Hall in the national capital.
“All of us are dismayed when we see young officers of the Indian Police Service personally going and assaulting protesters and demonstrators. This is something very, very distressing to observe,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“The detachment expected of police officers somehow seems to be disappearing, and this is indeed a matter of grave concern,” he added.
Justice Bhuyan said the police can maintain effective law and order without using excessive force or violating people’s rights.
“For most common people, a policeman on the street wearing a whistle and a lathi represents the power and authority of the state. When they feel wronged, they seek the help of the police. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that the police force maintains its credibility,” he said.
“It can do so only by strictly adhering to the Constitution, by functioning as a truly professional force, acting impartially, displaying courage and acting with conviction, maintaining integrity and adhering to secular principles, thereby upholding the rule of law,” he added.
He also raised concerns over the growing number of cases involving custodial torture and deaths in the country, calling it one of the worst crimes in a civilised society.
He said there is a need to reform the police system and warned against political interference in its functioning.
Congress MP P Chidambaram, former Maharashtra DGP D Sivanandhan and several others attended the event, according to the report.
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Punishing students for asking questions is unconstitutional: SC judge
A few days ago, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan had said on Sunday that students should not face the threat of punitive action for holding a different view or asking questions, as doing so is unconstitutional and amounts to misuse of power.
He said universities should provide space for “established positions” to be “examined and questioned”, while differences of opinion should not be treated with hostility.
The Supreme Court judge was speaking at the 13th convocation ceremony for postgraduate students of National Law University, Delhi.
“When students express a different point of view, when students ask questions, they cannot be threatened with punitive action. That is unconstitutional. That is a misuse of power and office,” said Justice Bhuyan.
His remarks came after the Bar Council of India (BCI) withdrew an August directive that had asked state bar councils not to enrol graduates from NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad. The directive followed a boycott by some students of an event where CJI Surya Kant was the chief guest.
With inputs from agencies
