The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the contempt of court proceedings against the four Gujarat Police officers who publicly flogged Muslim men in Kheda district in 2022, Live Law reported.

In October 2022, a group of Muslim men allegedly threw stones at a garba site near a mosque at Undhela village of Kheda. The following day, five Muslims accused of being involved in the incident were dragged out in public, tied to a pole and beaten with a stick by the police as a crowd cheered.

In October 2023, the Gujarat High Court convicted the four policemen for contempt of court orders in the DK Basu judgement of 1996 against police abuse and custodial violence. In the judgement, the Supreme Court laid down guidelines that the police must follow while arresting or detaining any person.

The four police officers are Inspector AV Parmar, sub-inspector DB Kumavat, constable Rajubhai Rameshbhai Dabhi and head constable Kanaksinh Laxmansinh.

The division bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta on Tuesday was hearing a plea by the police officials challenging their conviction. The court admitted the appeal by the police officials.

Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for the police officers, told the court that there was no wilful disobedience of the verdict by his clients.

“So you have an authority under law,” the court questioned. “To tie people to poles and beat them? And take videos?”

Dave said that the officers were already facing criminal prosecution, departmental inquiry and the National Human Rights Commission had also initiated proceedings against them.

The top court then accepted the request and stayed the contempt proceedings before the High Court.

Also read: ‘Ray of hope’: How persistence led to conviction of four Gujarat policemen who flogged Muslim men