Epic struggle: Apex court upholds HC order in 21-year-old brutality case

A Division Bench of the apex court on Friday dismissed an ad-interim appeal filed against an order of the Gujarat High Court where it had decreed that the Gujarat government and Rajan Priyadarshi, an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), involved in the attack on Thakkar, pay Rs 8 lakh as compensation to him. Priyadarshi is currently posted as IG (Prisons).

The Supreme Court while dismissing the appeal expressed surprise that the Government of Gujarat had pursued the litigation to this extent, especially when it involved a private party, in this case, Priyadarshi.

The Gujarat court had on July 14 directed that the money be paid to Thakkar within three months. The HC order had come following an appeal filed by Priyadarshi challenging a June 30, 2007 order of the Ahmedabad District and Sessions Court that has held that Thakkar be paid Rs 2 lakh with an interest of nine per cent for the brutalities inflicted on him by the police.

“I have again got justice. Every court of law that the case has gone to has decided in my favour. Somebody has to protest against the atrocities of the police, so what if the fight takes 21 years of your life,” said Thakkar who is also secretary of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee.

The Sessions Court order had said that the responsibility was joint and several in this case, meaning both the government and Priyadarshi personally will have to dole out the money.

The incident dates back to February 1, 1987 when Thakkar was pulled out of his house in Naroda area of the city and beaten up by Inspector R J Jadhav (now dead) and Priydarshi, the then Deputy Commissioner of Police. Thakkar said he was beaten up because he had raised his voice against illegal liquor dens in the area and gathered mass support for it.

He said: “Is complaining about an unlawful act a crime? They beat me up for this. But I kept the fight for justice on. From the lower courts to the Supreme Court, it is only the judiciary that is the keeper of the faith of people. I stand vindicated.”

The HC in its order had directed that the entire money be deposited in a nationalised bank as fixed deposit and that he be paid the interest quarterly till the appeal is decided.