'Illegal' public parade, assault of accused by Surat police: Plea to DGP

By A Representative

Mujahid Nafees, Convener of the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC), has submitted a representation to the Director General of Police (DGP), Gujarat, alleging that Surat police officers violated Supreme Court guidelines and a Gujarat DGP circular by allegedly assaulting accused persons in public during a police reconstruction exercise.

The complaint relates to an FIR registered at Salabatpura Police Station on July 13, 2026. Referring to media reports and videos circulated on July 14, Nafees alleged that the accused were publicly paraded and physically assaulted by police personnel during the reconstruction of the crime. According to the complaint, the accused belong to the Muslim minority community.

The representation alleges that the public parade, custodial assault, and alleged humiliation of the accused violated constitutional protections, the Supreme Court's landmark D.K. Basu guidelines on custodial safeguards, and a Gujarat DGP circular dated May 12, 2026, which reportedly prohibits the public beating of accused persons.

The complaint further states that the accused were allegedly forced to walk barefoot before a large crowd, beaten with sticks and by hand, had their hair pulled, and were paraded in handcuffs despite not having been convicted by any court of law. It argues that such actions amount to extrajudicial punishment and undermine the rule of law.

Nafees has urged the DGP to initiate departmental, disciplinary, penal, and criminal proceedings against the police personnel responsible for the alleged custodial violence and public parade.

Mujahid Nafees said, "The police have no legal authority to publicly parade or assault accused persons in the name of reconstruction. Every accused is entitled to dignity, due process, and a fair trial until proven guilty. We have requested the DGP to take immediate action against the officers responsible for these alleged violations of Supreme Court guidelines and the Gujarat Police circular."

The complaint warns that if appropriate action is not taken, the complainant will pursue further legal remedies in accordance with the law.

The allegations are based on the complaint submitted by Mujahid Nafees. The Gujarat Police had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of writing.

The “Dr” debate masks a larger crisis in allied-health education

By Dr P K Gupta* India’s allied-health professions have long operated in a fragmented landscape of universities, hospitals, State authorities and private institutions, each with its own nomenclature, curriculum and standards. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 was meant to correct this by creating a unified national framework for education, professional regulation and institutional recognition. Few dispute the need for such oversight. The real question is whether standardisation is quietly becoming synonymous with longer courses, additional internships and new professional titles—changes that risk masking deeper gaps in clinical training, institutional capacity and affordability.

Pilgrimage or pollution? The waste crisis of Indian faith

By Raj Kumar Sinha* In today's times, there are certain issues that are constantly talked about and discussed, yet no visible impact seems to be made. Beyond water, soil, and pollution, one crisis that continues to be overlooked is waste. Like other life-threatening problems, waste too is gradually moving toward burying and obliterating us. After the Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar, approximately 8,000 tonnes of waste were left behind on the riverbanks, including bottles filled with urine.

Can cow dung become a source of income? Durga Maida shows the path to self‑reliance

By Vikas Meshram* In the Sailana block of Ratlam district lies the small village of Govardhanpura. This is where Durga Maida lives with her husband and four daughters. Their livelihood depended on just one bigha of land—far too little to feed a family of six. Growing enough grain for the year was impossible, and even meeting daily expenses was a constant struggle. Alongside farming, Durga kept livestock and took up wage labour whenever she could. Hard work was never lacking, but income always was. Month after month, the accounts failed to balance, forcing her to borrow. Looking back, Durga says those days felt heavy and hopeless; farming offered no promise, and there was no sign of change. Her story mirrored the reality of almost every small farmer in the area.

Counterview

Search This Blog