Supreme Court’s First Reaction On Lathi Charge Against Students

The Central Government led by NDA faced adequate criticism over the handling of NEET fiasco. While the resignation of Education Minster Dharmendra Pradhan after widespread protests came as a welcome move, the manner in which heavy police force was used against students came under intense public scrutiny after visuals went viral all over on TV Channels and social media platforms.

Now, the matter has reached the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India made a major statement regarding the high-handedness of cops. The court stated that police cannot launch a lathi-charge simply because people are agitating.

Though the apex court initially refused to intervene into the matter, it finally agreed as a series of petitions were filed after Police personnel crossed the line on July 20. Pellet guns were used to disperse the agitators and several non uniformed cops were seen manhandling girls.

Chief Justice Surya Kant spoke firmly on the matter, strongly defending the constitutional right to peaceful protests. He stated that the police force cannot resort to aggressive tactics, such as baton charges, simply because a group gathers to protest. The court emphasized that public demonstration is a fundamental right that must be respected by law enforcement.

To prevent such future incidents, the judges asked for standard guidelines for police forces across all states. They instructed authorities to set up designated, safe spaces where citizens can protest peacefully. Officers were told to act strictly against actual troublemakers instead of using force on an entire crowd.

The Supreme Court also observed that anti-social elements should not be spared in the name of agitation.