The Supreme Court on Thursday directed all the states and union territories to file affidavits within a week indicating the steps taken in constituting the State Security Commissions.
A Bench comprising Justice G S Singhvi and Justice Kurian Joseph was hearing submissions on the recent incidents of police brutality in Punjab and Bihar. While in Punjab a woman was beaten up by the cops, in Bihar demonstrating contract teachers were lathi-charged by the policemen. Justice Singhvi, in his order said, “All the states and union territories are directed to file affidavits within seven days clearly indicating the steps taken by them for constitution of the State Security Commissions and the details of the persons who have been appointed to the State Security Commissions.
The details of the meetings held after the constitution of such Commissions shall be also incorporated in the affidavits,” he added.
Senior counsel Dushyant Dave, appearing for the State of Punjab, told the Bench that the act of the policemen at Taran Taran where the woman was beaten up is deplorable and that he had advised the state government to take punitive and corrective measures in the matter. The government has accepted my advice and will act upon the same, he added.
He further told the Bench that police reforms are the need of the hour. The recruitment of policemen is either on caste considerations or on corrupt deals. “The cops have to be freed from VIP duties. They have become personal bodyguards of the VIPs. We (common people) have to fend for ourselves,” Dave felt. At this, Justice Singhvi remarked, “Everybody should think that somebody is watching. There is a court.”
Senior counsel L Nageshwar Rao, appearing for the State of Bihar, told the Bench that he had gathered some material suggested by Honesty International. To this, Justice Singhvi said, “Problem is quite complex. Our country has internal and external threats and sense of justice is not there.”
Former DGP, Prakash Singh on whose petition the apex court had framed some guidelines for police reforms in its judgment in the year 2006 and who was asked by the apex court to assist it, told the Bench that once a DGP has been appointed, he must have a tenure of two years. He further pointed out that some of the States have not set up the State Security Commissions.