Gujarat HC charges five cops with contempt for assaulting & parading accused in Rajkot

Ahmedabad, July 6 (IANS) The Gujarat High Court has formally charged five policemen with contempt of court in a 2016 case of thrashing and public humiliation of an accused in custody in Rajkot.

The court made its decision after rejecting the apology offered by the policemen on Wednesday.

Their actions were deemed a clear violation of the guidelines set forth by the Supreme Court in the D.K. Basu and Arnesh Kumar judgments, which specifically outline the treatment of individuals in custody.

The accused, Ajay Kumbharwadiya, endured vicious beatings within the confines of the Pradyumnanagar police station before being paraded and further assaulted in full view of the public in 2016.

Additionally, it was alleged that the officers involved extended his custody beyond the permissible 24-hour limit, further exacerbating their misconduct.

The five officers implicated in this case are B.T. Gohil, M.J. Dhandhal, V.S. Lamba, Jaybha Parmar, and Pradumansinh Zala.

Presiding over the matter, Justice A.S. Supehia and Justice M.R. Mengdey set the next hearing for July 13, emphasizing the court’s commitment to resolve the case.

The court has also issued a directive to the state government, ordering them not to take any departmental action against the charged policemen until the contempt charges have been fully addressed.