Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court on Monday issued contempt of court notice to 19 police personnel of Patan district over a petition alleging that they publicly paraded the arrested accused and tortured them in custody, in violation of the directions issued by Supreme Court.Besides 19 cops of Chanasma taluka, the bench of Justice Alpesh Kogje and Justice Nisha Thakore also issued notice to the director general of police and the chief secretary, who were named as respondents in the petition for their supervisory powers over the entire process.The issue pertains to an incident of alleged rioting between the members of Desai and Thakor communities in March near Chanasma town. The police arrested 18 people from the Thakor community.The contempt petition was filed by one of the arrested persons, Karansinh Thakor, through advocate Anand Yagnik. He submitted that on March 18, they were humiliated in public and paraded with their hands tied with rope from the local crime branch office to the bus station.After securing their two-day remand, the cops brutally beat them in custody, the petitioner alleged. Upon their production before the court, they made a complaint regarding the public parade and custodial torture.It was submitted that upon their complaint, the court ordered an inquiry into the allegations. The probe was being conducted by a magisterial court of another taluka at the behest of Patan’s principal district judge.Advocate Yagnik submitted that the petitioner named all 19 police personnel in his petition and supplied photographs and videos showing the cops wielding batons and beating the petitioner and other co-accused.The videos were aired on various news channels on the day of the incident. It was contended that the policemen’s gesture was in violation of SC guidelines issued in DK Basu’s judgement, and action was demanded against all the 19 police personnel under the contempt of court provisions. The petitioner also demanded suspension and departmental action against the erring police officers.After the preliminary hearing, HC issued notice and sought response from the policemen by Sep 21.
