Maharashtra Chief MinisterPrithviraj Chavan today came in for praise from Press Councilof India chairman Markandey Katju for his government's "strongstep" against two police officers who had arrested two girlsfor their Facebook comments last week.
Katju wrote a letter congratulating Chavan on "yourstrong step in suspending the police officers who arrested thegirl who put up an item on Facebook objecting to the shutdownin Mumbai on the death of Bal Thackeray, as well as the girlwho supported her".
He said that the Supreme Court and high courts have"repeatedly held that such bandhs and shutdowns are illegal asthey paralyse the entire civic life" in the city.
"Hence what the girls did was in accordance with theSupreme Court judgement. How then could their act be calledillegal? In fact it was the policemen who arrested the girlswho acted illegally and committed the criminal offencesmentioned in sections 341 and 342 IPC," Katju wrote.
Earlier on November 19, he had raised his voice againstthe arrest of the two girls in Palghar near Mumbai and soughtaction against the cops who carried out their arrests.
In his letter, he said that if a policeman is issued anillegal order by his superior (whether political or police) itis his duty to refuse to carry out such illegal order,otherwise he must be charged for a criminal offence and givenharsh punishment.
The former Supreme Court judge said that if a policemanis given an order by a superior to commit murder, dacoity orrape, he must not obey.
"It seems to me that the delinquent police officers whoordered the arrest of Shaheen and the other girl, and thosewho implemented this illegal order, succumbed to the pressureof the hundreds of hooligans who came to the police station.
What kind of policemen are these who succumb to hooligans,"Katju asked.
"I am informed that in recent years hooligan gangs haveflourished in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra, and theyhave terrorised people living in the state. Some of themprofess a separatist ideology," he said.
"In my opinion these should be crushed with an iron hand,and it is your duty, as the chief minister to do this, asChanakya has advised in the Arthashastra, and Bheeshma Pitamahin his upadesh to Yudhishthir in the Shantiparva ofMahabharat," he added.