Supreme Court asks Delhi Police to furnish footage of Ramdev's camp

New Delhi, July 11 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi Police to furnish the footage of yoga guru Baba Ramdev's camp at New Delhi's Ramlila Maidan last month.

Criticizing the Delhi Police for the midnight crackdown on Ramdev and thousands of his supporters on June 4, the apex court also asked them to explain what provoked it to use teargas and baton-charge in the closed enclosure on people, who were sleeping.

Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who appeared for Ramdev, requested the apex court to issue notice to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in this regard.

The apex court will take up this plea during the next hearing on July 25.

Delhi Police had last month defended the crackdown at Delhi's Ramlila ground in their reply submitted to the Supreme Court.

Defending the crackdown, the police said it was forced to retaliate after Ramdev's supporters threw stones and flowerpots at them when policemen tried to reach the stage where the yoga guru was delivering a speech.

Delhi Police also denied that it resorted to a baton charge at Ramlila Maidan. The police said that tear gas was used only when Ramdev's supporters started pelting stones on cops.

According to the police, 72 people were injured, as the camp was broken up, which included 39 civilians and 23 policemen.

The Supreme Court had issued notices to Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai and Delhi Police Commissioner B.K. Gupta on June 6 asking them what were the circumstances under which Ramdev and his supporters were forcibly evicted.

The yoga guru had been on a hunger strike against corruption along with 65,000 followers when the Delhi Police on the Central Government's orders cracked down on their camp late on the night of June 4 in New Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.

Delhi Police fired tear gas shells, when Ramdev was on his indefinite 'fast-unto-death' stir to demand several radical reforms in the prevailing political system, including a death penalty for corrupt officials.

He was later flown by a special plane to Dehradun from New Delhi's Palam Airport. (ANI)