SC slams cop’s handling Rail Bhavan protest, Kejriwal too under scanner
26 Jan 2014 4:48 AM IST
Arvind Kejriwal’s role in leading a protest while holding constitutional office on Friday came under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court which slammed law enforcing agencies of allowing unlawful assembly of supporters of the chief minister in the heart of national capital.
The apex court disapproved the Delhi police inaction in permitting people to gather outside the Rail Bhavan despite prohibitory orders under section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure barring assembly of five and more persons being in force.
‘How did they (people) assemble when prohibitory orders under secton 144 of CrPC was clamped. Why did you let it happen in the first place when the mob is already there,’ a bench comprising justices R M Lodha and Shiva Kirti Singh asked Delhi police chief BS Bassi.
‘Why did police at all permit people to gather when it will amount to breach of prohibitory orders. What we are inclined to know is whether police acted,’ the bench said while adding that ‘by allowing five people it swelled into 500 and thereafter into thousands’.
Observing that ‘the task in hand is to see that the constitutional provisions are respected,’ the bench sought explanation by 31 January from the police commissioner why people were allowed to gather unlawfully at the site of dharna by Kejriwal.
The apex court disapproved the Delhi police inaction in permitting people to gather outside the Rail Bhavan despite prohibitory orders under section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure barring assembly of five and more persons being in force.
‘How did they (people) assemble when prohibitory orders under secton 144 of CrPC was clamped. Why did you let it happen in the first place when the mob is already there,’ a bench comprising justices R M Lodha and Shiva Kirti Singh asked Delhi police chief BS Bassi.
‘Why did police at all permit people to gather when it will amount to breach of prohibitory orders. What we are inclined to know is whether police acted,’ the bench said while adding that ‘by allowing five people it swelled into 500 and thereafter into thousands’.
Observing that ‘the task in hand is to see that the constitutional provisions are respected,’ the bench sought explanation by 31 January from the police commissioner why people were allowed to gather unlawfully at the site of dharna by Kejriwal.
Next Story
