A group of young lawyers approaches it on “indiscriminate arrests” during lockdownThe Supreme Court on Thursday asked a group of young lawyers, who highlighted the ‘indiscriminate’ arrests of “tens of thousands of petty traders, pedestrians, cyclists” during the lockdown, to file a fresh petition mentioning specific incidents of authoritarian excess. The lawyers had based their case on a survey but a Bench led by Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobde said the court needed a concrete case to take judicial action. Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for petitioners led by Ameya Bokil, was allowed to withdraw the petition with liberty to file afresh citing specific incidents. There was no discernible reduction in the prison population though the apex court had itself taken suo motu cognisance of the issue. The petition urged the court to restrain the police from arresting people involved in offences with imprisonment up to seven years.

Source: The Hindu February 11, 2021 16:37 UTC