The Gujarat High Court has issued notice to 32 policemen in a contempt plea related to the alleged incident of public flogging of certain Muslim men in the states’s Junagadh last month.
The plea, filed by Jakir Yusufbhai Makwana and Sajid Kalamudin Ansari, accuses Junagadh police officials of subjecting them and other alleged rioters to custodial violence and public flogging, violating the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the DK Basu case.
The applicants further claim that six accused and four minors have already filed incidents of custodial torture against these police officers and personnel.
The plea also raised concerns about the detention of a lawyer’s son-in-law, who represents some of the victims, and alleges pressure to withdraw the complaint of torture.
The violence in Junagadh erupted after the local civic body issued demolition notices to certain Islamic religious places that were encroaching on public roads. The applicants assert that they had gathered to protect a Dargah from demolition, and the police misbehaved with them, leading to a violent conflict between the Muslim community and law enforcement.
On June 17, an FIR was registered against the applicants and others, accusing them of pelting stones at the police.
The matter is now before the bench of Justice A.S. Supehia and Justice M.R. Mengdey, where counsel for the applicants, Anand Yagnik, has raised serious concerns about custodial violence.
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