A group of top advocates representing the Jammu Bar Council has filed an official complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) against the police over the alleged public shaming and unlawful parade of accused persons after they were caught by the Jammu police.
The group was led by Nikhil Padha consisted of 11 prominent lawyers who are practising in the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh high courts, and the founder of Human Rights and Harmony.
The complaint was filed after a group of policemen paraded an accused with garlanded shoes, thought to be involved in the theft case.
Apart from the 11 prominent lawyers, the other signatories included Supreme Court lawyers Sonal Gupta and Reetik Jasrotia; advocates Namita Chhabra and Padamja Sharma of Delhi High Court; advocate Rameez Rena of Patna High Court; advocates Akarshan Magotra and Abrar Hussain of J-K and Ladakh High Court and lawyers Lavanya Bhatt, RishikaChaurasia and Jiya Gupta.
The incident had unfolded in Gangyal, Jammu, on June 11 and in Bakhshi Nagar, Jammu, on June 24.
The complaint stated, “We, the advocates enrolled with various courts across the country, write to you with immense concern and utmost urgency regarding the recent events which unfolded in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, where on-duty police personnel engaged in unconstitutional acts of public shaming and parade-like punishments of accused persons.”
The complaint addressed to the NHRC chairperson, Justice V. Ramasubramanian, said, “These actions, widely circulated through media and social platforms, constitute a gross violation of human rights, the right to dignity, and established jurisprudence on custodial rights under Indian law.
In a dramatic event that unfolded in Jammu on Tuesday, personnel tied a thief to the bonnet of the vehicle with a garland of shoes around the neck of a notorious gang member, alleged to have been involved in a series of theft cases.
The video quickly spread across social media, receiving a mix of reactions where one side of the users said it was the right thing to do since these people steal the money and belongings of the people who work tirelessly to earn them; on the other side, the users also raised questions over the legality and ethics of the police action, with some even terming it “jungle raj”.
Meanwhile, condemning the incident, Jammu SSP Joginder Singh ordered a department inquiry into the matter. He said the police action was totally “unprofessional, unbecoming of the members of a disciplined organisation” and called for stern action.
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