The Supreme Court has ruled that there should be a “zero-tolerance” approach towards excesses committed by police officers on accused persons, regretting that such atrocities continue to happen despite a constitution bench judgment.

The court passed the observations while dealing with an appeal filed by Somnath, a Dalit, challenging the compensation of Rs 75,000 awarded to him despite being handcuffed and paraded half-naked by C.P. Kakade, then inspector of Paithan police station in Aurangabad, and allegedly abused because of his caste.

“The court would indicate that in such matters the courts need to take a very strict view. A zero-tolerance approach towards such high-handed acts needs to be adopted as such acts, committed by persons in power against an ordinary citizen, who is in a non-bargaining position, bring shame to the entire justice delivery system," a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said.