NHRC orders compensation to victim of police torture

NEW DELHI, MAY 14. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered an interim compensation, of Rs. one lakh, to the legal heirs of a resident of Bijnour in Uttar Pradesh, who was forced to commit suicide due to alleged torture, harassment and humiliation by the police.

Expressing anguish over non-completion of disciplinary action against the police officials responsible for pushing Surinder Singh to suicide, the NHRC also directed the Senior Superintendent of Police, Bijnour, to keep it informed of the cases against them.

The Commission's directive came after probe into a complaint by Mr. Mukesh, brother of the deceased, who alleged that a police Sub-Inspector, R. K. Sharma, implicated Surinder in a false case of theft and continued to torture him.

Surinder committed suicide and a written note was recovered from his pocket blaming the official for his death, it was claimed in the complaint.

Enquiry by the NHRC revealed that Sharma had threatened the victim and his family members. Surinder ended his life as he could not sustain the harassment and mental torture.

The Commission found that other police officials were also involved. Disciplinary action was recommended against a head constable, an assistant Sub-Inspector and Station House Officer, who were held responsible for the incident.

Though a case was registered against Sharma for various offences under the Indian Penal Code, a chargesheet had not yet been filed in the court, the sources said.

Subsequently, the NHRC, which asked for the latest position, was informed that Sharma had been suspended, while other police officials had been chargesheeted under the police rules.

The Commission was pained to note that even though Surinder had committed suicide due to harassment by R. K. Sharma and the department held so, a challan had not been presented against the Sub-Inspector in a competent court. The Commission directed that the compliance report for the payment of the interim compensation be called within four weeks.

- PTI

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