Petition filed in HC against growing communalism in police in wake of assault with lawyer

Correspondent

NewsBits.in

JABALPUR: A petition has been filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, seeking action to check the growing communalism and religious discrimination in the police force.

Lawyer Deepak Bundele, who had been assaulted because policemen thought he was a Muslim due to his beard, has filed it through Advocate Ehtesham Hashmi, demanding that steps should be taken to stop the menace of communalism in the department and has sought that a police complaints authority be set up.

Bundele, who is severely diabetic, was allegedly roughed up and mistreated when he was going from his home to the hospital in Betul (MP). After he lodged a complaint against the policemen, two personnel came to his residence and told him that he was assaulted because policemen thought he was a Muslim.

They also told him that due to his beard, this case of 'mistaken identity' took place. Also, during this conversation, one of the policeman told him that the particular policemen was a 'kattar Hindu' (fundamentalist) and had he known Bundele's religion, he won't have hit him.

The policeman also said that he (Bundele) should understand that during riots, "police takes the side of Hindus ....", and he should not hold a grudge against the police personnel and refrain from further proceedings in the case. Bundele had recorded this conversation.

Though a case was not registered for assault, senior officials had ordered probe and suspended a policeman for these objectionable remarks. In fact, the same town witnessed another incident this month when a policeman used abusive terms on social media against Dalit and Muslim communities.

He was later suspended. The petition says that there is ample evidence that a crime was committed and action should be taken. It also says that incidents of atrocities are increasing and it is clear that there are communal elements within the police.

'It is against the spirit of the constitution to discriminate the citizens on the basis of religion and it violates Article 15". The petitioner has further said that till date no FIR has been lodged in the case of assault with him, and action should be taken in this regard, as well.