NEW DELHI: Daughters of two army personnel have approached the apex court seeking protection of human rights of security personnel, who come under attack by mobs while performing their duties.
A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi issued notices to the Union of India, Ministry of Defence, Jammu and Kashmir and the National Human Rights Commission on the plea filed by 19-year-old Preeti Kedar Gokhale and 20-year-old Kajal Mishra.
The petitioners are daughters of Army officers — one serving and another retired. The plea filed by the duo states, “FIRs are filed against soldiers if they take action in retaliation or in self-defence against the perpetrators of pelting of stones, no similar action is taken against the perpetrators of violence against the armed forces personnel.”
The plea has sought formulation of a policy to curb human rights violations of security force personnel. The petition added that depriving the security personnel of their right to prosecute a person who has committed an offence against them is a violation of their fundamental right to life and liberty. Referring to FIRs being lodged against Army personnel, the plea said cases are being lodged if action is taken against stone pelters in retaliation or self-defence.
The petition termed as shocking a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister’s declaration in the legislative assembly that as many as 9,760 FIRs registered against stone pelters would be withdrawn as they were first-time offenders. Citing the Centre’s stand before the Rajya Sabha last year, the petition said 759 incidents of pelting of stones were reported in J&K in 2018.