HC bars Maha cops from conducting mock drills depicting "terrorists" from a specific group

Mumbai: An interim judgement issued by the Bombay High Court's Aurangabad bench prohibits the police from staging mock drills in which members of a particular community are portrayed as terrorists.

The court was deliberating on a public interest litigation (PIL) brought by social activist Sayed Usama, who claimed that dress and slogans used in police department mock exercises suggested the terrorists were Muslims.

A division bench of Justices Mangesh Patil and A S Chapalgaonkar on February 3 directed the public prosecutor to apprise the court about the guidelines for holding mock drills, PTI reported.

The HC, while posting the matter for further hearing on February 10, said, "Till the next date, no mock drill shall be conducted depicting persons of a particular community as terrorists."

Mock drills are conducted by the police at district levels in order to increase the efficiency of the security force and to be better prepared for emergencies, including terror attacks.

The petitioner claimed such mock drills showed bias and prejudice against the Muslim community and sent a message that terrorists belong only to a particular religion.

The PIL took exception to three mock drills held at Ahmednagar, Chandrapur and Aurangabad districts where policemen, who played the part of terrorists in the mock drill, were dressed as men from the Muslim community.

"The petitioner, who is a social activist, apparently a Muslim, has raked up the issue involving public interest. He takes exception to the conduct of mock drills by the police department depicting from attire and the slogan-shouting as if to indicate that the terrorist is a Muslim," the court said.