It’s a sad disgrace to our country’s core security, one that has been largely overlooked by all concerned institutions. The attack on a serving Colonel of the Indian Army and his son by Punjab Police should have raised national outrage. About a decade ago, it would have, with the army itself leading the demand for justice. Today, there’s hardly any visible reaction. This indicates trouble both internally and externally. It’s not just the deterioration of state institutions, but also an indifferent society, without clear principles or expectations of right and wrong. Both aspects deeply affect national security in multiple ways.

First, the incident itself. According to available footage, the police used extreme brutality on the officer and his son, all over a parking dispute. Whether or not the officer was rude to the police is unclear. Even if he used profanities, the police should have informed the nearest military authority about a possible detention. The Code of Criminal Procedure specifies that no armed forces personnel may be arrested by civilian authorities unless on serious charges like murder. In this case, the brutality of the violence passes all boundaries.

Such cases may be increasing. Days later, on March 25, a paratrooper was picked up, assaulted after a verbal exchange with an Inspector, who seemed inebriated, and detained. Even worse, the judicial authorities kept him under detention for 20 days. Another incident involved an........

© News18