The Karnataka High Court has directed the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police (DG&IGP) to issue a circular to the police force of the state regarding the instructions issued by the Bengaluru Police Commissioner, on Monday, March 30.
The Bengaluru Police Commissioner had urged the police personnel to restrain from using lathis and to behave with courts and patience with citizens while enforcing the lockdown.
Lockdown rules to be strictly followed
The court has also made it clear that the citizens should also follow the lockdown directions, including the restrictions imposed by the State and Union governments on their movement.
The direction was issued by a Special Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice BV Nagarathna on the basis of the video clippings brought to the notice of the court that featured police excesses and lathi charge. The Bench was hearing PIL petitions on issues that have cropped up owing to the measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Karnataka.
The hearing was held as a video conference, with advocates arguing from their private locations.
Further, the Bench directed the DG&IGP to issue a similar circular to the police force in the State so that instances of police excess would stop.
The Bench also directed the State to file its response to the incident of police firing on a person who had reportedly assaulted them while enforcing the lockdown rules at Sanjaynagar in Bengaluru city.
On prisoners
In addition to these, the Bench has also asked the State to follow steps with respect to the Supreme Court directions on decongesting prisons by releasing eligible undertrials on interim bail and convicts on parole.
The government should also ensure that these prisoners on their bail or parole reach their homes safe and do not end up staying on the streets. The Bench directed the government to prevent all sorts of unwanted arrests by the police force.
Endless chaos
While some of the citizens have also come up with tweets that urge the state government to immediately follow the Bengaluru model. In most of the other parts of the state, people are still seen moving out creating much traffic jam!
The less working hours allotted for the shops is stated as a prime reason, feared of which people rush to get the things, lest the stores turn closed or out of stock. With the continuous changes made by the officials in the lockdown rules, people keep panicking.
