'Does CRPF have prior sanction cover?'

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Thursday asked the Assam government to clarify if it needed New Delhi's green signal to prosecute paramilitary personnel accused of human rights violations.

The observation came while hearing a petition by the central government challenging the Gauhati High Court after it upheld a trial court decision to proceed with the recording of evidence against two CRPF officers.

The two courts had ruled that action could be taken against deputy director A K Singh (now retired) and commandant V S Yadav of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) without prior sanction. The issues concern the killing of seven alleged insurgents in Panka village in Assam in April 1983. The CRPF maintained that the Assam Police should take the sanction of the central government before proceeding against its men.