SC refuses to stay Allahabad HC order on security to criminals

New Delhi, Jan 17 (UNI) The Supreme Court today refused to grant interim stay of Allahabad High Court judgement directing Uttar Pardesh government to withdraw the security cover from students, student leaders, political workers, contractors and those with criminal background latest by January 22.

A Bench comprising Justices B N Agarwal and P P Naolekar also refused to grant early hearing to the petition filed by Uttar Pardesh government against the high court judgement. The petition is scheduled to come up for hearing on January 25.

Earlier, senior counsel Harish Salve, mentioning the matter for early hearing, contended that if interim relief is not granted by the court, the security of the people falling in the aforesaid categories will have to be withdrawn by January 22. Otherwise it would amount to contempt of the high court.

He also stated that the implementation of the high court order required a lot of ground work and it is not possible to implement the impugned judgement within the stipulated period.

The high court directions were issued on a PIL following ugly incidents of clashes between two groups of the students of Lucknow University and later in Banaras Hindu University (BHU) following which Lucknow University Vice- Chancellor R P Singh had to close down the University and students and student leaders with criminal background staying illegaly in the hostels had to be forcibly evicted by the police.

In BHU, a student leader was killed by rival faction . Police had to use force to control the situation in the two universities.

According to UP government, the security is provided by the state on the basis of threat perception to an individual. The high court cannot issue orders for enmass withdrawal of security cover.

The Assembly elections in the state are due to be held soon and political workers with criminal background act as musclemen of the party they support and the party in power. The leaders liberally issue arms licences and police protection to their supporters, especially during the elections.

The J M Lyngdoh Committee report, suggesting ways to checkmate increasing criminalisation of the student politics and influence of political parties on the campus politics, has already been accepted by the apex court. The court has directed the government to implement the recommendations of the committee headed by the former Chief Election Commissioner of India.

UNI