"Action Taken Against Accused Police Officers, SIT Formed": UP Govt. Tells Allahabad High Court In Ex-Army Man Torture Case
On a plea filed by an ex-soldier of the Indian Army alleging that he was humiliated and brutally tortured by the Uttar Pradesh Police, the Uttar Pradesh Government today submitted before the Allahabad High Court that the Government has acted against accused police officers and an SIT has been formed to investigate the matter.This response of the State Government comes in the backdrop of...
On a plea filed by an ex-soldier of the Indian Army alleging that he was humiliated and brutally tortured by the Uttar Pradesh Police, the Uttar Pradesh Government today submitted before the Allahabad High Court that the Government has acted against accused police officers and an SIT has been formed to investigate the matter.
This response of the State Government comes in the backdrop of the serious remarks made by the Bench of Justice Surya Prakash Kesarwani and Justice Gautam Chowdhary against the functioning of the Uttar Pradesh police.
"...some action has been taken against the accused Police Officers including the S.I. Sunil Kumar Sharma and the I.O. Ram Naresh Singh and a preliminary inquiry is also being conducted. He further states that S.I.T. has also been constituted to investigate into the matter including the F.I.Rs. lodged by the petitioner," the Court noted submissions made by AGA Patanjali Misra for the UP Government.
The Court was informed that further action including the arrest of the accused Police Officers shall be effected if in preliminary inquiry they are prima facie found to be guilty.
It was further stated that up-to-date status in the matter shall be placed before the Court on the next date fixed on which date, the Advocate General shall also appear.
As prayed by the AGA, the case was directed to be put up as a fresh on July 16, 2021, for further hearing.
Essentially, during the Course of the previous hearing, taking into account the injury reports and FIR filed by the victim/ex-army man, the Allahabad High Court had said:
"...prima facie, (it) shows a very sorry state of affairs and police atrocities...It, prima facie, indicates a breach of fundamental rights of the petitioner guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India by the accused police officers/ police personnel."
Stressing that the matter is serious and requires serious consideration of the Court, the Bench had directed the State DGP to file a counter affidavit by means of his personal affidavit, indicating the action taken in the matter.
A video of the said incident was also circulated on social media. It may be noted that the Policemen accused of assaulting him have been suspended.
The matter in brief
On May 2, 2021, the Victim (Resham Singh), along with his mother and two sisters was going from Pilibhit to Lakhim Pur Kheri when they were stopped by the Police Officials at around 9 am and they enquired from the Victim and his family members as to where they were going and also asked for the papers of the car in which they were travelling.
Allegedly, since it was taking some time to sort out the papers, the Police Officials out of the blue started abusing the Victim and his family members, which included his mother and two sisters.
Thereafter, the Police Officials got infuriated on the same and threatened the Victim and his family members that they will teach them a lesson for life and then started abusing him and beating the Victim with lathis.
That after forcefully being taken to the said Police Station, the Victim was disrobed and then tied up on a cot and brutally beaten up by the said police officials for two continuous hours using "Dandas", Fist and leg blows and gave him third-degree torture only to satisfy their ego.
Allegedly, the cops abused him on his Sikh identity, tied him up, tore out his turban, pulled his hair, beat him with lathis—causing grave injuries on his backside and hips
Further, it was submitted that the Police Officials did not stop at the physical torture of the Victim, but in order to further humiliate the Victim, they also threatened the Victim that they will cut his unshorn hair in order to teach him a lesson of his life.