What about jawans' human rights? SC agrees to hear plea by army officers' daughters

The plea sought formulation of a policy to curb human rights violations of security force personnel, who are being attacked by mobs while performing duties.
File image of Supreme Court of India
File image of Supreme Court of India

NEW DELHI:  The Supreme Court Monday agreed to examine a petition seeking protection of human rights of security force personnel, filed by daughters of two army officers.

The plea by 19-year-old Preeti Kedar Gokhale and 20-year-old Kajal Mishra sought formulation of a policy to curb human rights violations of security force personnel, who are being attacked by mobs while performing duties.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna who agreed to hear the plea also issued notices to the Union of India, Ministry of Defence, Jammu and Kashmir and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the plea.

Preeti and Kajal have sought direction to the Centre for formulation of a comprehensive policy to safeguard the rights of armed forces personnel against human rights violations by unruly mob or individuals attacking them during the discharge of their military duty.

The petitioners said that they have approached the apex court being aggrieved and dissatisfied with the substantial inaction of the respondents in addressing various acts of human right violations of the army personnel, from the perpetrators of violence within the state, resulting in obstruction in the discharge of their duty as well as danger to their safety and security at the place of their deployment.

They are "greatly disturbed by the incidents of unruly and disruptive mobs" pelting stones at soldiers and army convoys in counter-insurgency area like Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The petitioners are further disturbed by the troops in the Indian Army, having to suffer the ire of stone pelters, while they are discharging their duty of maintaining peace and security in the area of their deployment," the plea said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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