SC Agrees To Hear Cases Connected To Alleged Police High-Handedness; Warns Protestors Against CAA To Stop Rioting
By Bobby Anthony The Supreme Court has given a stern message to rioting students across the country to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, that it will not be held to ransom or be bullied as it set the date for hearing the matter on such protests for Tuesday, December 17, 2019.Chief Justice of India S A Bobde stated that the Supreme Court would not accept public properties...
The Supreme Court has given a stern message to rioting students across the country to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, that it will not be held to ransom or be bullied as it set the date for hearing the matter on such protests for Tuesday, December 17, 2019.
Chief Justice of India S A Bobde stated that the Supreme Court would not accept public properties being destroyed in the name of such protests which were held in Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University and Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh Muslim University recently.
The court observed that just being students, they could not take the law into their own hands. He made it clear that the court would only hear the matter if no further violent protests took place. He said the court was not saying students were responsible or that the police were innocent.
“What is this? Public properties are being destroyed. We will decide it in cool frame of mind,” the Chief Justice told lawyers Indira Jaising and Colin Gonsalves.
The Supreme Court stated that it should first be assured that there is peace and no rioting, and then only it will hear the matters connected with the alleged police high-handedness on violent protests in Jamia area in south Delhi against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Chief Justice S A Bobde said, “First, we want to be assured that there would be peace, and if you want to take to street, then in that scenario, do not come to us”.
Earlier, senior advocates Indira Jaising and Colin Gonsalves had mentioned the matter before the court alleging police violence against students in Jamia. The Chief Justice told the lawyers that students can't say they have a right to breach law and order.
The Supreme Court reiterated its warning that if protest, violence and destruction of public properties go on, then “We will not hear”.
The Supreme Court agreed take up the matter related to violence against students in Jamia Millia Islamia University, and also consider the case of disturbances in Aligarh Muslim University over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).