SC RUES: COPS DO BIDDING OF PARTY IN POWER

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday described as a “disturbing trend” senior police officers supporting a political party in power and later being targeted when the regime changes.

It urged officials to conduct themselves in a responsible way so that the rule of law can endure.

“It is a very disturbing trend. Police officers are supporting one government, which is in power. When the government changes, they face the same action...till the time they keep favouring political parties, this is what will keep happening. It is a sad state of affairs,” observed a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana and justice Surya Kant.

The bench made these observations while granting protection from arrest to suspended senior IPS officer Gurjinder Pal Singh, who faces arrest in two cases involving sedition and corruption charges in Chhattisgarh.

Senior advocates Fali S Nariman and Vikas Singh appeared for Singh in the two cases, which, they claimed, were foisted on the officer after he did not accede to a demand made by Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel to frame the previous chief minister of the state in certain cases of illegal gratification.

In their appeals against orders of the Chhattisgarh high court denying protection to Singh, Nariman and Singh maintained that the senior IPS officer was evidently targeted due to political reasons.

At this, the bench remarked that such things will continue happening until police officers do not stop associating themselves with the political regime.