India
pti-PTI
Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha has approached the Supreme Court seeking registration of FIRs over the alleged use of excessive police force against students protesting against the NEET paper leak.
Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha filed a Supreme Court petition seeking FIRs over alleged police brutality during NEET paper leak protests, citing incidents including Bihar police firing, with the bench agreeing to hear related pleas together.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana agreed to list the matter for hearing on Tuesday after advocate Fauzia Shakil mentioned the plea for urgent listing.
“We have filed a writ petition with comprehensive information, including Bihar firing,” Shakil said, adding that police in Bihar allegedly used AK-47 rifles on protesters.
The bench said all petitions alleging excessive use of police force against students participating in protests across the country over examination paper leaks would be heard together on Tuesday.
Three protesters were injured after police in Bihar’s Siwan district opened fire on demonstrators as the ‘Bihar bandh’, called by the All India Students’ Association (AISA) against the NEET paper leak, turned violent in several parts of the state.
In his petition, Jha has sought directions to states and Union Territories (UTs) to register FIRs over allegations of police brutality and disproportionate police action against peaceful protesters between July 20 and July 25, particularly during the July 20 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
He has also sought an investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in each concerned state and UT. The proposed SIT should comprise the director general of police (DGP) and two senior women IPS officers not below the rank of inspector general of police (IGP).
Jha further requested that the investigations be supervised by a retired high court judge and completed within three months.
The RJD MP’s petition comes in the wake of protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, where students and various organisations demanded education reforms and the resignation of then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The CJP called off its protest on July 25 after Pradhan resigned and the government accepted the other demands raised by the newly formed organisation.
