SC asks Delhi police to justify Ram Lila Maidan crackdown -Governance Now

SC asks Delhi police to justify Ram Lila Maidan crackdown

Ramdev camp argues decision was "political" and taken much before June 4

Deevakar Anand | July 11, 2011

The supreme court on Monday pulled up Delhi police for its midnight swoop on anti-corruption protestors at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on June 5.

A division bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar asked Delhi police to justify its act of using teargas and resorting to lathi charge on sleeping men, women and children - gathered to support Ramdev in his protest against corruption - in the closed pandal.

Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who is arguing for Ramdev, cited a press release by the home ministry as well an interview of the home minister P Chidambaram to point to the fact that the decision to use force on protestors was a “political decision” taken much earlier than on June 4. The court said it would consider issuing notices to union home ministry on this charge by Ramdev.

The bench said there were documents and DVDs to show yoga was indeed undertaken at the Ramlila ground. “If that was so, what was the justification for the police to resort to baton- charge,” it asked. Delhi police commissioner B K Gupta , in an affidavit has submitted in the court that the permission to use the Ramlila Ground was given for a yoga camp, and not for any other purpose.

The matter will be taken up for next hearing on July 25.

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