Jamia, AMU protest: SC to hear plea on 'cop brutality'

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up a plea alleging “police brutalities” against students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University on Tuesday.

The court, however, called for an immediate halt to rioting and destruction of public property.

“If protest, violence and destruction of public properties go on, we will not hear,” a bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde said.

“We want rioting to stop. We are not saying students are responsible or the police are innocent. We know what are their rights. What is this? Public properties are being destroyed in the name of protest,” the bench further said.

“We will decide it in cool frame of mind,” the bench, also comprising Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, said.

A group of lawyers led by senior advocates Indira Jaising and Colin Gonsalves mentioned the matter, asking the court to urgently take up the issue of alleged police excesses on students across the country for their protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.

“First, we want to be assured that there would be peace. If you want to take to streets, don’t come to us. Students can’t say they have a right to breach the law and order,” the CJI told Jaising and Gonsalves and others.

As lawyers raised their voices on the issue of alleged police excesses, the CJI said, “We can’t be held to ransom. We are not going to be bullied like this. I don’t think the court can do much.”

The court, however, permitted the counsel to circulate their petition and posted the matter for consideration on Tuesday.

In her plea, Jaising said that it is a matter of “very very serious human rights violations”. Students were not being provided adequate medical aid, she claimed.