FOC
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Mumbai has demanded stern action against the Collector and Superintendent of Police, Satara for brutal lathi-charge of more than 700 VHP and Bajarang Dal activists who were peacefully demonstrating at the foothills of Pratapgarh in Maharashtra. ?When Shivaji Raje Bhonsale'sdescendant Smt. Vijayatai Bhonsale was addressing the peaceful gathering of VHP workers, the police suddenly started lathi-charging the women, old people and the youth brutally. The entire nation saw the unprovoked cruelty live on television,? said Nitin Pradhan, an advocate who filed a writ in the Mumbai High Court on the blatant breach of legal procedure. The writ has been admitted by the Court. Giving details on the police cruelty the writ says that the police imprisoned over 300 injured and bleeding workers including women and old people, without providing any medical help. What shocked the people and the Mumbai High Court was that these people were denied even water and medical treatment for over 20 hours. Not only that, they were even denied the facility of contacting their lawyers. At 3.00 a.m. at night, a magistrate was brought to the police station, violating all legal norms. Even those accused of serious crimes are entitled to seek legal help. When advocate Lalit Chavan requested permission to represent them, he was manhandled and chased away. This was most embarrassing for the High Court bench comprising of Justice Palshikar and Justice Mohta who even remarked, ?What is this going on??
