The Uttar Pradesh government has informed the Allahabad High Court that a special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the plea filed by a retired Indian Army soldier alleging humiliation and brutal torture by the state police.
The state government also informed that further action, including arrest of the accused police officers shall be effected if in the preliminary inquiry, they are prima facie found to be guilty. While keeping the submissions made by the state government on record, a division bench comprising justices Surya Prakash Kesarwani and Gautam Chaudhari on Monday directed to put up the case for further hearing on July 16. According to an earlier direction of the court, the Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) filed a personal affidavit on Monday. The state counsel on the basis of the affidavit informed the court that some action has been taken against the accused police officers, including Sub-Inspector Sunil Kumar Sharma and Investigating Officer Ram Naresh Singh, and a preliminary inquiry is also being conducted.
Up-to-date status of the matter shall be placed before this court on the next date fixed and on which date the advocate general of Uttar Pradesh shall also appear before the court, the counsel said. The court on July 8, after taking into account the injury reports and FIR filed by retired soldier, had observed that "prima facie, it shows a very sorry state of affairs, police atrocities and a breach of fundamental rights of the petitioner by the accused police officials".
Emphasising that the matter is serious and requires serious consideration of the court, it had directed the DGP to file a counter-affidavit by means of his personal affidavit, indicating the action taken in the matter. On May 2, Resham Singh, along with his mother and two sisters, was going from Pilibhit to Lakhimpur Kheri when they were stopped by the police officials around 9 am, according to his complaint. Police then asked for the papers of the car in which they were travelling.
It has been alleged that as it was taking some time to sort out the papers, the police officials abused the victim, his mother and his two sisters. Resham Singh asked the police officials to not abuse them and also informed that he was a retired member of the armed forces.
This infuriated the police who threatened the victim and his family members that they will teach them a lesson for life, it has been alleged. They then started abusing and beating the victim with lathis and allegedly the police officials also beat his mother and sisters and took them to a police station without taking the assistance of any woman police officer, it has been alleged by the complainant.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.
Comments
0 comment