Public Flogging in Surat by Police: Gujarat High Court takes Suo Motu Cognisance Over Brutality Captured on Camera

The Gujarat High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of a controversial incident in Surat, where local police officers allegedly paraded suspects in handcuffs and assaulted them on a public road. Acting on a petition sent to Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, the high court has initiated formal proceedings regarding the matter, which has stirred widespread outrage across the state.

The judicial intervention follows a formal representation submitted by High Court Advocate Utkarsh Dave, who brought the high-handed police action to the chief justice’s attention. The petition explicitly names Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rajdeepsinh Nakum alongside 15 to 20 other police officers, demanding immediate legal action against all personnel involved in the public beating.

Caught on Camera: Paraded in Handcuffs and Assaulted

According to the petition, the incident took place on 14 July 2026. Video clips of the episode quickly flooded social media platforms and main news broadcasts, showing police personnel escorting handcuffed suspects down public streets.

The circulating footage shows officers violently pulling the suspects' hair, slapping them, and striking them repeatedly with wooden batons in full public view.
Legal advocate Utkarsh Dave argued in his submission that the police officers created a circus of summary justice, handing out brutal physical punishment long before any judicial trial or conviction could take place.

Breach of Fundamental Rights and Breakdown of Due Process

The petition highlights that such extrajudicial treatment blatantly violates fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India and tramples on the core principles of due process.
"When the very machinery tasked with enforcing the law decides to step outside its legal boundaries, it shatters public confidence in the judicial process," the petitioner stated, urging the court to intervene before such practices become normalised.

Alongside strict legal action against DCP Nakum and the accompanying officers, the petition has urged the high court to order an independent probe into the entire incident. The plea also seeks clear, enforceable guidelines to prevent police personnel from subjecting pre-trial suspects to public humiliation and physical violence in the future.
The Gujarat High Court will take up the suo motu case for a detailed hearing in the coming days.