The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta is set to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Tuesday, filed by Bihar resident Bhupesh Narayan through lawyer Barun Kumar Sinha. The Plea seeking a thorough investigation into the July 13 incident in Patna. The incident involved the death of a BJP leader, Vijay Singh, during a “Vidhan Sabha march” protesting against the Nitish Kumar government’s teacher recruitment policy. The PIL demands the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a retired apex court judge or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look into the matter.
The PIL alleges that the police used excessive force during the peaceful procession, resulting in the death of Vijay Singh. While party leaders claimed he died due to a brutal lathicharge by the police, the district administration refuted this, stating that “no injury marks” were found on his body. The petition further seeks an investigation into the roles played by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, and other officials, including the state’s police chief, accusing them of allegedly protecting the actual perpetrators of the incident.
The plea emphasizes that peaceful demonstrations are a recognized method of protest in a democratic country and that the police have a constitutional obligation to maintain law and order while upholding the rule of law. Misuse of power against citizens, as alleged in this incident, is considered a severe violation of fundamental rights and a threat to public safety.
Thesbench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta i scheduled to hear the PIL on July 25, as stated on the apex court’s website.
