Army can't use excessive force in disturbed areas: Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday said the army cannot use excessive force in its counter-insurgency operations in areas declared disturbed under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. 

The court held that criminal courts do have the jurisdiction to look into cases of alleged excesses by the armed forces in areas declared disturbed. A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Uday

Umesh Lalit, however, reserved its verdict on the question ordering a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into more than 1,500 cases of allegedly staged shootouts in Manipur. The ruling is a setback to the Centre and the army which had argued that the Army Act gives immunity to armed forces personnel from being prosecuted by criminal courts.