SC issues notices to Centre, cops for beating AAP volunteers

AAP volunteers had gone to Gokulpuri police station on June 19 to protest against non-registration of FIR in rape case

The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Government of India, the Delhi police commissioner and various other police officials responsible for beating up Aam Aadmi Party volunteers who had gone to protest against non registration of an FIR for rape at the Gokulpuri police Station in Delhi.

Many AAP volunteers had gone to the Gokulpuri police station on June 19 to protest against the non registration of an FIR in a rape case.

The volunteers included a 17 year old girl Beenu, who had earlier in April been slapped by a police official when she was asking for the shifting of a 5 year old girl who was raped to a proper hospital.

The ACP had to be suspended when media channels started running footage of this slapping incident and the Supreme Court took suo moto notice of this and called for the Police Commissioner’s explanation.

The Supreme Court’s order is in response to a writ petition by 19 volunteers who were beaten up and arrested, seeking an independent investigation into the incident, severe action against the police officials involved and compensation to the volunteers.

The petition points out that the Delhi Police and the Commissioner Neeraj Kumar has been deliberately and maliciously targeting AAP volunteers at the instance of the government, and particularly after the AAP had held a Press Conference exposing his nexus with jailed arms dealer Abhishekh Verma.

Even earlier, the police under instructions from Neeraj Kumar and his political masters had tried to falsely charge AAP Volunteers for the death of Inspector Tomar during the anti rape protests in December. Tomar was later established to have died of a heart attack.