Caught on camera: on the use of force at Jantar Mantar

Published 2026-07-27 · Updated 2026-07-27 · 3 min · 491 words

UPSC CSE Context

Why in News

Supreme Court agreed to hear complaints of police excesses against student protesters at Jantar Mantar.

Syllabus Connection

GS Paper 2: Governance, Polity, Fundamental Rights, Role of Judiciary.

Exam Relevance

Highlights police accountability, judicial intervention, and fundamental rights violations, relevant for Mains answer writing on governance and ethics.

Core Issue

Police brutality against peaceful protesters caught on camera.

Key Development

Videos show uniformed and plainclothes personnel using excessive force, including sexual assault.

Stakeholders

• Delhi Police
• Supreme Court of India
• Unidentified vigilantes

Static Knowledge

High-Value Background

• Article 21 guarantees right to life and personal liberty, which includes right against torture and inhuman treatment.
• Police forces in India operate under the Police Act, 1861, with limited accountability mechanisms.

Exam Linkage

• Useful for questions on police reforms, fundamental rights, and judicial oversight in maintaining rule of law.

Concepts in Context

• Proportionality in use of force requires that police action be commensurate with the threat posed.
• Custodial violence and public order policing are governed by guidelines in D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal.

Institutions and Mechanisms

• National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) can inquire into complaints of police excesses.
• Supreme Court exercises writ jurisdiction under Article 32 for enforcement of fundamental rights.

Dynamic Analysis

Constitutional/Legal

• Excessive force violates Article 21 and the right to peaceful assembly under Article 19(1)(b).
• Supreme Court's intervention underscores the judiciary's role as a check on executive excesses.
• Lack of accountability for past incidents (JNU, Jamia) indicates systemic impunity.

Governance

• Police brutality erodes public trust in law enforcement institutions.
• Absence of independent oversight mechanisms allows repeated violations.
• Use of unidentified personnel suggests possible deployment of vigilantes, blurring lines of accountability.

Ethics

• Sexual assault by police reflects a breakdown of ethical conduct and human dignity.
• Targeting women and children raises questions about moral responsibility of the state.
• Public servants' duty to protect citizens is undermined when they become perpetrators.

Prelims Takeaways

• D.K. Basu guidelines relate to arrest and detention procedures to prevent custodial violence.

Mains Value Addition

Arguments

• Police reforms are essential to ensure accountability and adherence to rule of law.
• Judicial intervention is critical when executive fails to protect citizens' rights.
• Impunity for past police violence emboldens future misconduct.
• Use of force must be proportionate and authorized under law.

Examples

• 2020 JNU campus attack and 2019 Jamia library assault show pattern of police inaction or excess.

Data Points

• Protests included teenagers, families with toddlers, and women, indicating peaceful nature.

Counterpoints

• Police may argue necessity of force to maintain public order, but videos suggest disproportionate response.
• Unidentified personnel complicate attribution and legal proceedings.

Way Forward

• Constitute an independent inquiry to identify and prosecute all perpetrators.
• Implement Supreme Court directives on police reforms, including separation of investigation and law and order.
• Strengthen NHRC's powers to investigate police excesses suo motu.
• Mandate body cameras and strict protocols for use of force during protests.
• Ensure fast-track courts for cases of sexual violence by state actors.

Primary/reference source: Editorial Analysis