Notice to govt over attacks

AHMEDABAD, Nov 17: Gujarat High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the State government8217;s home department in a petition alleging inaction on the part of police in checking atrocities on minorities by Vishwa Hindu Parishad VHP and Bajrang Dal activists during the past some time. A division bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice M S Shah posted the matter for further hearing on November 30.

Senior advocate Haroobhai Mehta and advocate Priya Fernandez, counsel for the petitioner United Christians Association, alleged that the police remained mute spectator to the series of attacks on the members of the minority communities by the VHP and Bajrang Dal men.

It was alleged that during this October 29 incident at Vadodara, Christian delegates participating in a programme were mercilessly beaten up by Bajrang Dal and VHP men even as police stood by. While the delegates were being attacked, a police van with an official stood nearby and attackers even used the police mobile phone. This shows complicity between police and the attackers, it was alleged.

The petition also mentioned several other incidents to make the point.