The Supreme Court directed Maharashtra to form a Special Investigation Team with Hindu and Muslim officers for the 2023 Akola riots probe. The bench said, “A person after donning the police uniform must rise above all kinds of biasness.”
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has given a strong direction while hearing a case linked to the communal riots that took place in Maharashtra’s Akola in May 2023. The court said that once a person puts on the police uniform, they must forget every kind of personal bias and discharge their duty only according to law.
The riots in Akola in May 2023 were triggered by a social media post. During the violence, one person lost his life and eight others, including two policemen, were injured.
The case reached the Supreme Court after allegations that the Maharashtra Police carried out a “biased” probe into the incident and did not act on serious complaints.
While making its order, the bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Alok Aradhe observed,
“A person after donning the police uniform must rise above all kinds of biasness including on the ground of religion and caste and must discharge duty as per the law.”
The court was hearing a petition filed by a 17-year-old boy, Mohd Afzal Mohd Sharif, who said that he was severely assaulted during the communal riots in Akola on May 13, 2023.
The violence in the old city area led to the death of Vilas Mahadevrao Gaikwad and caused serious injuries to the petitioner.
According to the plea, the petitioner was admitted to hospital after the assault, and on May 15, 2023, the police recorded his statement.
However, despite being aware of the attack and the injuries, the police did not register a case or begin any investigation. The plea alleged that although serious cognizable offences were disclosed, the authorities failed to take action.
The petitioner had earlier approached the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, asking for relief under its constitutional powers. But on July 25, 2024, the High Court dismissed the writ petition and refused to grant any relief.
Aggrieved by the High Court’s order, the petitioner moved the Supreme Court. After hearing the matter, the top court expressed its displeasure over the conduct of the Maharashtra Police and said that the investigation must be fair and unbiased.
The Supreme Court then passed an unprecedented order directing the Maharashtra government to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The bench asked the State Home Secretary to immediately constitute the SIT.
The team will be made up of senior police officers from both Hindu and Muslim communities, ensuring neutrality in the investigation.
The court clearly stated that police officers, once in uniform, cannot let religion or caste influence their official work.
The fresh SIT will now re-investigate the case, including the complaint of the 17-year-old petitioner who alleged serious assault during the riots.
With this order, the Supreme Court has not only ensured a fair probe in the Akola riots but also sent a wider message that law enforcement officers must always remain above any kind of bias when performing their duty.
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