New Delhi, Mar 12 (IANS): The Supreme Court Monday issued notice to the central and state governments asking them about steps taken to bring about police reforms and questioned Punjab Police for beating a Dalit woman.

The court also issued notice to former Uttar Pradesh police chief Prakash Singh, on whose petition it issued in 2006 direction for effecting police reforms.

The apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice Kurien Joseph also asked the Punjab police chief to file an affidavit detailing the action taken against police officials for beating a woman in Tarn Taran near Amritsar March 3.

The court also sought details of the responsibility fixed on senior police officers in the matter. The police chief was given a week's time to file his affidavit.

The judges also sought an affidavit from the senior superintendent of police Tarn Taran on the beating of the woman. The incident was captured on camera.

The court asked Bihar police chief and police commissioner of Patna to explain the rationale for beating women teachers participating in protests seeking a pay hike.

Fixing April 1 as the next date of hearing, the court wondered what had happened to the sensibility of the people who witnessed the beating of the Dalit woman in Tarn Taran, but remained mute spectators.

Referring to the "we the people" in the preamble of the constitution, Justice Singhvi asked: "What is the accountability of the citizens who were standing nearby and around the place (where police was thrashing the women in Tarn Taran)? Where have we come to? Have we lost everything? Have we become a senseless society? Where are our sensitivities?"

The Supreme Court had last week taken suo motu cognisance of the beating by policemen of the Dalit woman in Tarn Taran and of women teachers agitating for higher salary in Patna.

While asking Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati to assist the court, the judges March 6 appointed senior counsel Harish Salve and U.U. Lalit as amicus curiae in the matter.

Describing the woman in Tarn Taran who suffered police lathis as "brave heart", Justice Singhvi mocked at the "judicial inquiry" instituted by the Punjab government.

"If government was sincere it should have taken prompt action within 24 hours," Justice Singhvi said, asking Additional Advocate General of Punjab Ajay Bansal: "was that lady a terrorists that you were beating her on the highway. What was the occasion to beat her?"

"It is happening everyday in different parts of the state," the court told Bansal.

"These cops will be reinstated after three months. They will be declared brave and awarded. This is the story of the last 40 years," Justice Singhvi said as Bansal told the court that guilty policemen were suspended.

Salve submitted a brief note to the court on the incidents in Tarn Taran and Patna.

The senior counsel told the court that people who are behind such police action should be made accountable.

Justice Singhvi said: "He (constable) is a human being. What he gets from morning till night. What type of treatment he gets from his seniors that makes him act in an animal like behaviour."

Vahanvati told the court that "there was no question of justifying what has happened. No body will go to police station. It has a serious implication for the society".

He said there had to be a proportionality in fixing the accountability in the chain of command.

Two policemen arrested

Two policemen allegedly involved in thrashing a young woman in full public view in Punjab's Tarn Taran district last week were arrested Monday, a spokesman said here.

"The Punjab Police today (Monday) arrested head constable Devinder Kumar and constable Saraj Singh, who were charged of assaulting a woman in Tarn Taran on date March 3. The arrest has been ordered after receipt of enquiry report that was submitted by Superintendent of Police Ranbir Singh," the spokesman said.

The two have been booked for outraging the modesty of a woman, causing hurt and criminal intimidation.

The young woman was slapped pushed, abused and hit with a baton by policemen in uniform in Punjab's frontier district of Tarn Taran last Sunday (March 3).

Four to five police personnel were caught on camera assaulting the young victim and her father after she reportedly complained to police against some taxi and truck drivers harassing her near a marriage palace in Tarn Taran, 280 km from here.

The incident was recorded by a bystander on his mobile phone Sunday and was aired by TV news channels.

An embarrassed Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had last week ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. Badal directed the Tarn Taran district magistrate to ascertain the causes and circumstances which led to the incident and submit the inquiry report within three weeks.

"This was an unpardonable offence and anyone connected with this grave crime, howsoever influential he may be, would not be spared and brought to book as per the law of the land," he said.

Punjab Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini had, last week, suspended two policemen seen in the video.