NEW DELHI, June 6 � The Supreme Court today took suo motu cognisance of the midnight crack down on yoga guru Ramdev and his followers and sought an explanation from the Centre about the circumstances which compelled it to take �brutal� action at the Ramlila ground in the national capital, reports PTI.
The apex court expressed concern over the �police atrocities� and use of �brutal force� to disperse the �innocent� people gathered at the site of Ramdev�s hunger strike against black money on the intervening nights of June 4 and 5.
�Considering the gravity of the police atrocities and the brutal force that was used by the police to disperse the innocent people who had gathered at Ramlila Maidan in furtherence to the permission granted by the state is a matter of concern for the court,� a vacation bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar said.
The bench issued notices to the Union Home Secretary, Delhi Chief Secretary and the Delhi Police Commissioner, asking them to respond within two weeks about the circumstances under which �such power with brutality and atrocities was asserted against a large people gathered at Ramlila Maidan�.
The court took note of articles and reports published in national dailies depicting the �sad state of affairs and brutality of the state in dealing with its innocent citizens�.
�Thus, we, suo motu, issue notices to the Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary, Delhi and the Police Commissioner of Delhi to show cause and file their personal affidavits within two weeks from today explaining the circumstances in which such power with brutality and atrocities was asserted against large people who had gathered at Ramlila Maidan,� the bench said and listed the matter for further hearing before the vacation bench.
