GUWAHATI: A local court on Thursday sentenced an Assam superintendent of police (SP) to two years in jail and fined him ₹50,000 for torturing a murder accused in custody.
The court of chief judicial magistrate, Kamrup, found Goalpara SP Amitava Sinha guilty of torturing Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Jammu, who was arrested in connection with the murder of Guwahati-based businessman Ajit Singh.
A contract killer named Omkar Singh Nalwa was said to have shot Ajit Singh, 45, dead on November 29, 2012. A case was registered at the city’s Basistha police station.
Mr. Sinha was the Additional SP (Crime) at that time. A team headed by him had brought Gurmeet Singh to Guwahati in 2013 and allegedly applied third degree to extract a confession from him.
“Even after five years, the connection between the accused and a murder 2,500 km from his home in Jammu has not been established. Gurmeet Singh was released, but not before he was tortured,” Anan Kumar Bhuyan, his lawyer, told The Hindu .
The accused had been thrashed with hockey sticks and petrol was forced through his rectum. The court, while hearing his case five years ago, took note of the grievous injuries to his body, Mr. Bhuyan said.
Later, the court of additional district judge had framed charges against Mr. Sinha when he was Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) in Guwahati.
