The Supreme Court of India has ordered the creation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine allegations of wrongful arrests and assault connected to the 2023 Akola riots in Maharashtra. The bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma emphasized that police officers are duty-bound to act without prejudice and must not allow personal or communal biases to affect their work.
The direction came on a plea filed by a man who claimed he was attacked during the violence and that his vehicle was set on fire. He alleged that despite giving a statement after being discharged from hospital, no First Information Report was registered on the basis of his testimony. According to him, the FIR that was filed unfairly implicated members of the Muslim community instead of those actually responsible for the assault.
The riots in Akola broke out following a controversial social media post and resulted in the death of one person, Vilas Mahadevrao Gaikwad. The petitioner, who was 17 years old at the time, contended that the investigation was mishandled and demanded an impartial probe by senior officers from both Hindu and Muslim communities.
Earlier, the Bombay High Court had dismissed his request, holding that the petition had been filed after an unreasonable delay and suggesting that it might be politically motivated. It also noted that the family of the deceased had not challenged the FIR.
The Supreme Court, however, took a different view, stressing that neutrality is fundamental to policing. It directed that the SIT should include senior officers representing both communities, thereby ensuring credibility and fairness in the investigation.
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