Agnipath Protests : PIL In Supreme Court Seeks SIT Probe Into Mass Violence & Damages To Public Properties

A Public Interst Litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to enquire into mass violence and damage to public properties, including that of railways, during the widespread protests against the Centre's "Agnipath" recruitment scheme for armed forces.

The PIL has been filed by Advocate Vishal Tiwari. The petitioner says that the "angry aspirants" set fire to at least 20 bogies of the New Delhi – Bhagalpur Vikramshila Express and New Delhi-Darbhanga Bihar Sampark Kranti Express at Lakhisarai and Samastipur stations and blocked highways in the state of Bihar. The intensity of protests is such that the Eastern Central Railway had to cancel 164 trains. It is further said that a large number of passengers were seen stranded on the different railway stations including Patna Junction. People are also standing in bus terminals waiting for buses as the highways are also blocked due to the protest.

Quoting news reports, the petitioner says that nationally more than 300 inter-state trains have been affected and more than 200 prime trains have been cancelled so far.

The petition has added the Union of India and the States of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar and Telangana as the respondents. 

The petitioner also seeks the constitution of an expert committee under the Chairmanship of Retired Supreme Court judge to examine the impact of the "Agnipath" scheme on the armed forces and national security.

Questioning the Agnipath scheme, the petitioner says "such short term contractual army recruitment is a demotivation to the army aspirants as it brings an uncertainty to such aspirants as there will be no future for such individuals after the fixed 4 period as only 25% personnel are retained".