Background
• The door of an Advocate’s home was broken down following which he was dragged out of his home while he was in his Advocate’s dress, manhandled and beaten down mercilessly by the police personnel, in the Etah district of Uttar Pradesh.
• The video of the entire incident which took place on 21st December, 2020 went viral and received a lot of backlash from lawyers and Bar associations across the nation.
• On 26th December, 2020, a Press Release by the Bar Council of India condemned the incident calling it “open gundagradi of Uttar Pradesh police” and further requested the Chief Justice of India as well as the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court to undertake immediate steps against the guilty police personnel.
• The BCI in its Press Release has also alleged that the video indicated “ulterior motive” of the police and if such incidents are ignored then the “Bar will have no option except to come on roads.”
Recent Developments
• The Supreme Court Bar Association also released a statement condemning the incident and calling it “atrocious and unacceptable” and further requesting “all concerned authorities to take serious punitive action against all concerned for their atrocious conduct which denigrates and violates the mandate of the Rule of Law.”
• Mr. Prabha Shankar Mishra, General Secretary of High Court Bar Association, Allahabad also sent a letter to the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court requesting him to take “suo motu cognizance of the said incident and pass appropriate orders to maintain the law-and-order situation of the state.”
Recent Developments
• The Allahabad High Court has taken a suo moto cognizance of the matter and a bench comprising of Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh has sought a complete report on the matter through Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Etah.
• The court has directed CJM, Etah to inquire about the matter by collecting “all relevant facts including audio visual electronic documents and submit to this Court on or before next date of listing.”
• The court has also directed the District Magistrate, Etah and the Senior Supritendent of Police to co-operate with the CJM, Etah and submit all relevant facts and documents as desired by the CJM.
• The matter is now listed to be heard on 8th January, 2021.
What are your views on Police Brutality? Let us know in the comment section below.
Join LAWyersClubIndia's network for daily News Updates, Judgment Summaries, Articles, Forum Threads, Online Law Courses, and MUCH MORE!!"
