Supreme Court seeks explanation from Punjab, Bihar on police brutality

New Delhi: 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.

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