Public shouldn't be tortured in the garb of lockdown: Gauhati High Court

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A division bench of the Gauhati High Court comprising Chief Justice Ajai Lamba and Justice Soumitra Saikia has disposed of a PIL (25/2020) filed against alleged police atrocities on people during the COVID-19 lockdown in the State, with a considered view and observation.

The PIL filed by Rahul Sensua alleges that "the police are resorting to atrocities, torture and assault on innocent public amidst the nationwide lockdown declared for prevention and control of coronavirus/COVID-19."

Hearing the petitioner as well as the respondents, the bench said, "With the considered view that in the garb of such lockdown, surely innocent public should not be subjected to torture or inhuman treatment, particularly because at this point in time, the innocent citizens/ordinary persons are highly sensitive and emotionally volatile. Such conditions surely cannot be aggravated by inhuman treatment given by the public servants.

"We are also of the view that the police people working on frontline are facing possible contamination and infection. Their duties, however, demand that they go close to the public, one of whom might be already infected. We are also conscious of the fact that the police personnel might be working overtime in these conditions.

"Be that as it may, without saying anything more, we hereby dispose of this petition with liberty, not only to the petitioner but to any citizen who notices such inhuman treatment and torture at the instance of public servants, to collect actionable material and initiate individual action against the law breakers."

The PIL has been disposed of with the above observation. 

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