Supreme Court to view Baba Ramdev eviction video
A bench comprising Justice BS Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar decided to watch the two-hour video recording of the entire incident on Aug 5.
By ET Bureau | Updated:
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has decided to view the video tapes of the midnight eviction of yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his followers from the Capital's Ramlila Maidan on June 4 by the Delhi Police.
The court rejected the plea of Ramdev seeking direction to issue notice to Home Minister P Chindambaram, alleging he was personally responsible for such crackdown on the gathering. It also turned down the plea of Ramdev's counsel Ram Jethmalani, seeking direction to make Chidambaram a party in the case.
A bench comprising Justice BS Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar decided to watch the two-hour video recording of the entire incident on August 5.
"At this stage, we are not expanding the ambit of the case and the focus is to examine the circumstances which led to the incident on June 4," the judges said.
Jethamalani submitted that the Union home minister should explain the entire incident and notice should be issued to him personally. At this, the bench said, it was dealing with only the June 4 incident. The issue, however, is not closed but cannot be considered at this stage, it said.
The court expressed unhappiness over the incident. "Innocent persons should not be beaten up by whosoever. We must ensure that such incidents do not occur again," the judges remarked. The matter was posted for further hearing on August 16.
Earlier, the SC had pulled up the Delhi Police for its midnight action against Ramdev and his supporters on June 4. It had asked Delhi Police to explain what provoked it to use teargas and baton-charge in the closed enclosure on people who were sleeping at Ramlila Maidan.
"Is it not expected that the tear gas and water cannons should be used in enclosed part...Was it not that people at 11:30 pm were sleeping? You resort to lathicharge. The photographs show the commissioner of police is talking to someone," the SC had said.
The court rejected the plea of Ramdev seeking direction to issue notice to Home Minister P Chindambaram, alleging he was personally responsible for such crackdown on the gathering. It also turned down the plea of Ramdev's counsel Ram Jethmalani, seeking direction to make Chidambaram a party in the case.
A bench comprising Justice BS Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar decided to watch the two-hour video recording of the entire incident on August 5.
"At this stage, we are not expanding the ambit of the case and the focus is to examine the circumstances which led to the incident on June 4," the judges said.
Jethamalani submitted that the Union home minister should explain the entire incident and notice should be issued to him personally. At this, the bench said, it was dealing with only the June 4 incident. The issue, however, is not closed but cannot be considered at this stage, it said.
The court expressed unhappiness over the incident. "Innocent persons should not be beaten up by whosoever. We must ensure that such incidents do not occur again," the judges remarked. The matter was posted for further hearing on August 16.
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Earlier, the SC had pulled up the Delhi Police for its midnight action against Ramdev and his supporters on June 4. It had asked Delhi Police to explain what provoked it to use teargas and baton-charge in the closed enclosure on people who were sleeping at Ramlila Maidan.
"Is it not expected that the tear gas and water cannons should be used in enclosed part...Was it not that people at 11:30 pm were sleeping? You resort to lathicharge. The photographs show the commissioner of police is talking to someone," the SC had said.
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