Taking note of various instances wherein Police machinery has either assaulted or punished citizens for violating lockdown norms, the Bombay High Court has ordered the Maharashtra government to file a detailed affidavit within 10 days. The HC has ordered the government to respond to various police torture instances across the state.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Nizamoodin Jamadar was dealing with a PIL filed by one Firdause Irani, claiming to have been a victim of police assault.
According to Irani, he was subjected to police brutality just because he was not wearing a mask. He accused the cops of assaulting him. He accordingly, filed a PIL highlighting various such instances.
In response to two specific such instances, the state filed an affidavit on Friday morning, giving a clean chit to the cops.
In one such incident, a handcart puller died while he was on his way to deliver a refrigerator. The state in its affidavit claimed that the cops did not assault him and instead he suddenly collapsed on ground and died.
However, on Friday, the bench noted that the state did not file a detailed affidavit regarding all the allegations leveled by Irani.
"Thus, we consider it appropriate to call upon the state to file a detailed affidavit within 10 days," CJ Datta said while adjourning the case till a further date.
