New Delhi: The detachment expected of police officers appears to be disappearing, Supreme Court judge Ujjal Bhuyan has said, adding that the assault on protesters was “distressing” and “a matter of grave concern”.
“All of us are dismayed when we see young officers of the Indian Police Service personally going and assaulting protesters and demonstrators. This is something very, very distressing to observe,” Justice Bhuyan said Friday at the launch of former secretary (security) Yashovardhan Azad’s book, ‘Policing the Republic’.
“The detachment expected of police officers somehow seems to be disappearing, and this is indeed a matter of grave concern.”
Incidentally, Justice Bhuyan in a speech less than a week back at the LLM convocation of Delhi’s National Law University had said that students cannot be threatened or subjected to punitive action merely for expressing views that differ from those in positions of authority.
The use of excessive force, including pellet guns, against students and protesters during the 20 July march to Parliament has drawn criticism against the Delhi Police as well as the ruling dispensation.
The Supreme Court has formed a five-member panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge R.Subhash Reddy, to examine the allegations of excessive and disproportionate use of force by police and paramilitary forces, as well as the alleged use of violence by protesters against security personnel.
Effective policing, Justice Bhuyan said, could be done without resorting to the excessive use of force or infringement of human rights.
“For most common people, a policeman on the street wielding a whistle and a lathi represents the power and authority of the State. When they feel wronged, they seek the help of the police. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that the police force maintains its credibility.”
The SC judge brought up the issue of custodial torture and extra-judicial killings. Maintaining that most police personnel adhere to the rule of law, he said that some problems cannot be brushed aside.
“Custodial violence has always been considered to be a serious breach of the trust entrusted to the policemen to keep the constitutional promise,” he said.
As many as 170 custodial deaths were reported in 2025-26 up to 15 March, according to the data presented by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Lok Sabha, in March. Bihar reported 19 cases, followed by 18 in Rajasthan and 15 in Uttar Pradesh, according to the data.
(Edited by Tony Rai)