People from Gujjar community block NH11 Jaipur-Agra highway in Dausa district of Rajasthan. (PTI Photo)
The Rajasthan High Court today rapped the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police or DGP for failing to arrest even a single Gujjar agitator and allowing people to suffer due to the "undemocratic" agitation which had crippled road and rail services in the state.
Asking the officials to immediately remove all road and rail blockades, the High Court directed the Chief Secretary and DGP to file an affidavit by tomorrow clarifying as to why action was not taken under the First Information Report or FIR registered against the agitators.
The court also asked them to give details of the losses caused to public and private property due to Gujjars' agitation over their demand for 5 per cent reservation in government jobs.
"You (Chief Secretary and DGP) being the head of bureaucracy and law and order machinery are not bound to be mere spectators of the political dialogue between the Gujjar agitators and the state government," a single judge bench of the court said.
"We cannot allow people to suffer for these undemocratic agitations. It seems that the both of you have gone senseless towards the plight of the public. We are making it clear in unambiguous terms to you that this court is keen to see that the blockades are removed immediately today itself with the train track and highway clear for movement overnight and we must be understood seriously while observing this," Justice RS Rathore said.
The observations and order came on a contempt petition pending against Gujjar leaders including Colonel Kirori S Bainsla since 2008 for violating orders of the high court.
DRM Railway, Kota division and the Chief Security Officer, Railway Police Force (RPF) were also present before the court.
The court also expressed displeasure over the non-action of Chief Security Officer, RPF in protecting the fish plates of tracks removed in the affected region, crippling rail movement between Delhi and Jaipur.
"The state administration has lodged an FIR under stringent provisions for waging war against the state but not a single named person has been apprehended yet nor the investigation initiated," said Justice Rathore.
The bench directed the Chief Secretary and DGP to file an affidavit by tomorrow clarifying as to why action was not taken under the FIR registered against Gujjar agitators and details of the losses caused to the public and private property with the actual amount of loss.
The Divisional Railway Manager or DRM Railways Kota, has also been directed to file the affidavit as to why timely action was not taken to protect railway property and what the RPF deployed on the train tracks was doing.
The bench also refused the prayer of the officials seeking exemption from personal appearance.
"They will have to be present in court till they clear the rail and road traffic else action will follow," said the bench.
The matter will again be taken up tomorrow which is the last working day of the high court in Jaipur.