Editor's Pick: CJI for special panels to probe police ‘atrocities’

Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana says he is in favour of forming standing committees headed by the Chief Justices of the High Courts to investigate complaints received from the common man of “atrocities” committed by the bureaucracy, especially police officers, in the country. The CJI’s oral observation comes even as some police officers are in the spotlight for committing serious crimes. Recently, police officers in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh have been accused of causing the death of a businessman during a raid in a hotel. In Tamil Nadu, the CBI has chargesheeted nine policemen for the custodial deaths of father-son duo P. Jayaraj and J. Benicks. The Hindu editorial had then said the custodial deaths of a father and son for a lockdown violation was “distressingly senseless.” There have been instances in which district administration officers were recorded on video physically manhandling citizens during the lockdown. “We are very disturbed by what the bureaucracy, particularly police officers, are doing… I was in favour of forming standing committees led by Chief Justices of High Courts to look into complaints of atrocities committed by bureaucrats, especially police officers, in this country,” Chief Justice Ramana said in court on Friday. The observation came when the court was reserving judgment on petitions filed by suspended Additional Director General of Police Gurjinder Pal Singh in Chhattisgarh. He had sought protections from arrest in various criminal cases, including sedition, extortion and criminal intimidation, arraigned against him by the current government. The court, in its order on Friday, refused to protect Mr. Singh in a corruption case filed against him. However, it protected him in the sedition and extortion cases till the High Court decides them on merit in two months. The court recently made oral observations in the case about how police officers act with impunity with one government but have to “pay back with interest” when there is a regime change. It had, in an earlier instance, wondered at the plight of police officers caught between rival political parties who come to power one after the other. The Bench had highlighted how police officers become targets of political vendetta, stating that it was a “sad state of affairs.” The CJI said orally, “When a political party is in power, police officers side with a particular party. Then when a new party comes into power, the government initiates action against these officers.” The court stated that this new trend needed to be checked in its tracks. In another case, the Supreme Court condemned the Uttar Pradesh government for shielding police officers accused in an encounter death even as the victim’s father was made to run from pillar to post for justice for 19 years. The Supreme Court initiating a move to curb excesses of the bureaucracy, particularly the police, makes it the top story of the day. The Hindu Editorials Crime and the pandemic: On Crime in India report No clean sweep: On a Swachh Bharat and urban India Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. Click here Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Which country below is a member of the Quad alliance, officially known as Quadrilateral Security Dialogue? 1. China 2. France 3. Australia 4. United Kingdom To find out the answer and play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 02 OCTOBER 2021 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( CJI for special panels to probe police ‘atrocities’ [CJI for special panels to probe police ‘atrocities’] Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana says he is in favour [of forming standing committees]( headed by the Chief Justices of the High Courts to investigate complaints received from the common man of “atrocities” committed by the bureaucracy, especially police officers, in the country. The CJI’s oral observation comes even as some police officers are in the spotlight for committing serious crimes. Recently, police officers in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh have been[accused of causing the death of a businessman]( during a raid in a hotel. In Tamil Nadu, the CBI has chargesheeted nine policemen for the custodial deaths of father-son duo P. Jayaraj and J. Benicks. [The Hindu editorial]( then said the custodial deaths of a father and son for a lockdown violation was “distressingly senseless.” There have been instances in which district administration officers were recorded on video physically manhandling citizens during the lockdown. “We are very disturbed by what the bureaucracy, particularly police officers, are doing… I was in favour of forming standing committees led by Chief Justices of High Courts to look into complaints of atrocities committed by bureaucrats, especially police officers, in this country,” Chief Justice Ramana said in court on Friday. The observation came when the court was reserving judgment on petitions filed by suspended Additional Director General of Police Gurjinder Pal Singh in Chhattisgarh. He had sought protections from arrest in various criminal cases, including sedition, extortion and criminal intimidation, arraigned against him by the current government. The court, in its order on Friday, refused to protect Mr. Singh in a corruption case filed against him. However, [it protected him in the sedition and extortion cases]( till the High Court decides them on merit in two months. The court recently made oral observations in the case about how police officers act with impunity with one government but have to “pay back with interest” when there is a regime change. It had, in an earlier instance, wondered at the plight of police officers caught between rival political parties who come to power one after the other. The Bench had highlighted how police officers become targets of political vendetta, stating that it was a “sad state of affairs.” The CJI said orally, “When a political party is in power, police officers side with a particular party. Then when a new party comes into power, the government initiates action against these officers.” The court stated that this new trend needed to be checked in its tracks. In another case, the Supreme Court [condemned the Uttar Pradesh government]( for shielding police officers accused in an encounter death even as the victim’s father was made to run from pillar to post for justice for 19 years. The Supreme Court initiating a move to curb excesses of the bureaucracy, particularly the police, makes it the top story of the day. The Hindu Editorials [Arrow][Crime and the pandemic: On Crime in India report]( [Arrow][No clean sweep: On a Swachh Bharat and urban India]( [underlineimg] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. [Click here]( Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Which country below is a member of the Quad alliance, officially known as Quadrilateral Security Dialogue? 1. China 2. France 3. 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