SC dismisses petition seeking President's Rule in Uttar Pradesh over rising crime in state

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday dismissed a petition seeking imposition of President’s rule in Uttar Pradesh citing alleged breakdown of Constitutional machinery and rising crime in the state. The top court warned the petitioner-advocate of imposing cost on him and questioned him about the research of crime records of other states. A bench of Chief Justice Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian told petitioner- advocate CR Jaya Sukin that there is no research on the claims which he has been making and asked him how his fundamental rights were violated. Sukin while referring to data of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said that he has done his research and crime graph has gone up in Uttar Pradesh. “In how many states have you studied the crime record? Have you studied crime records of other states? What is your research of crime records in other states? Show us on what basis you are saying this,” the bench said. The top court said that there is no research done by him on the claims he has been making. The bench, while dismissing the plea said, “We will impose heavy cost on you if you will argue further”. Sukin, who appeared in person in the hearing conducted through video conferencing, alleged that unlawful and arbitrary killings including extrajudicial killings are being perpetrated by police in Uttar Pradesh. He alleged that situation has arisen in the state in which the government of Uttar Pradesh cannot be allowed to carry on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. That imposition of Article 356 of the Constitution in Uttar Pradesh is necessary to save the Indian democracy and lives of 20 Crore people, he claimed in his petition.