: Taking suo motu cognisance of media reports on the custodial death of a 25-year-old fruit vendor and the subsequent alleged cover-up by policemen at the Adarsh Nagar police station last week, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Delhi Police Commissioner, asking for a detailed report in the matter within six weeks.
“The Commissioner has been rquested to submit all relevant documents including the post-mortem report, inquest report, video CD of the post-mortem examination and the magisterial inquiry report in the matter,” said an NHRC spokesperson.
Cause for concern
He added that the Commission had expressed concern over the case. “It [Commission] has been emphasising that the police and State machinery need to be sensitive towards the rights of persons taken into custody in connection with any criminal case. The incident amounts to violation of right to life of the victim and is indicative of the inhuman approach of the police personnel who reportedly picked up the victim and thrashed him in their custody to an extent that he lost his life,” the spokesperson added.
On December 28, the body of the victim, Sompal, was found in a courtyard outside the police station. His family claimed he had been arrested under preventive provisions and taken to the police station where he was thrashed by three constables.
The police, however, said he had jumped from the terrace of the police station. Later, six policemen, including the SHO, were suspended and booked for culpable homicide and destruction of evidence.
Autopsy report awaited
The police are now awaiting the post-mortem report, which was conducted on Monday. It is also likely that the case will be transferred to the Crime Branch from the north-west district police.
