Guwahati: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has criticised police conduct during recent student protests, saying officers appear to be losing the professional distance expected of them.

Speaking at the launch of retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad’s book Policing the Republic on Friday, Justice Bhuyan said it was disturbing to see young Indian Police Service officers themselves using force against protesters.

“All of us are dismayed when we see young officers of the Indian Police Service personally going and assaulting protesters and demonstrators. This is something very, very distressing to observe,” Justice Bhuyan said.

He said police officers are expected to maintain a certain level of detachment while performing their duties, but that quality appeared to be declining.

Justice Bhuyan said the police could maintain law and order without using excessive force or violating citizens’ rights.

He said an ordinary person often sees a police officer carrying a whistle and lathi as a representation of the state’s authority. According to him, people turn to the police when they believe they have been wronged, making public trust in the force essential.

Police and paramilitary personnel have faced criticism over their handling of student protesters during the CJP protest.

The issue has also reached the Supreme Court, which has constituted a high-level panel to examine allegations of excessive force by Delhi Police during the July 20 protests at Jantar Mantar and the march towards Parliament.

The panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy, will look into allegations involving lathi charges, tear gas, pellet guns, electronic batons and the alleged targeting, harassment or molestation of women protesters. It will also examine CCTV recordings and other video material related to the clashes.

Justice Bhuyan also referred to incidents of custodial torture and deaths in the country, describing custodial death as among the gravest offences in a society governed by law.

He said any form of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment would fall within the protection provided under Article 29, whether it took place during an investigation, interrogation or in other circumstances.

The judge also warned that violations of law by government officials could weaken respect for the law and contribute to further lawlessness.

He questioned whether citizens lose their fundamental rights once they are taken into police custody.

Justice Bhuyan also spoke about extra-judicial killings, commonly referred to as “fake encounters”, and said the Supreme Court had treated such cases seriously.

Referring to a 2011 judgment, he said the court had ruled that fake encounters undermine the rule of law. He added that a proven fake encounter involving a serving police officer must be dealt with with the highest degree of seriousness.

Justice Bhuyan said the use of encounters as a policing method amounted to criminal conduct and had no place in policing.