Judgment

RANGANATH MISRA, J. :- Peoples Union for Democratic Rights, an organisation said to be committed to the upholding of fundamental rights of citizens has filed this application under Art. 32 of the Constitution. It is alleged that on 19th April, 1986, 600 to 700 poor peasants and landless people mostly belonging to the backward classes had collected for holding a peaceful meeting within the compound of Gandhi Library in Arwal, a place within the District of Gaya in the State of Bihar. Without any previous warning by the police or any provocation on the part of the people who had so collected, the Superintendent of Police, Respondent No. 3 herein, reached the spot with police force, surrounded the gathering and opened fire as a result of which several people were injured and at least 21 persons including children died. The petitioner alleged that separate unofficial inquiries have been held into the atrocity and the reports indicated that the number of deaths was much more than 21 and there was no justification for the firing. It appears that there was a dispute relating to possession of 26 decimals of low lying land adjacent to the canal at Arwal and to such dispute members o