Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar today drew the ire of the Supreme Court which sought an explanation from him for a senior police officer slapping a girl protesting rape of a minor, saying such an incident is an "insult" to the country.
"Even an animal won't do what the police officers are doing everyday in different parts of the country," the court said and wondered how many times Mahatma Gandhi would have died due to police brutality had he been alive today and indulged in protest.
Slamming police for using unwarranted force against unarmed people particularly women, a bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi also directed Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary to file affidavit explaining why a 65-year-old woman was assaulted by the police in Aligarh during a protest against the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl.
"Commissioner of Police, Delhi to file affidavit explaining the unwarranted use of force against young girls who were in demonstration to protest the rape of minor. Explain how can police beat a young unarmed girl that resulted in the bleeding of her ear?," the bench said.
Advocate Wasim Quadri, appearing for Delhi government, apologised for the incident saying that the concerned police official has been suspended and assured that it will not happen again.
The bench, however, was not satisfied and said that suspension is not enough and there has to be some accountability of senior officers.
"You don't have to apologise. What is it? They were only demonstrating. How can police beat them and that too it resulted in bleeding," the bench said.
