Custodial death: Haryana human rights panel recommends Rs 7.5L for kin

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 15

The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has recommended a compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh to the kin of Sudhir, a resident of Fatehabad, who died in police custody in February 2021.

The Bench, comprising Justice KC Puri and member Deep Bhatia, said Sudhir was illegally detained for two or three days by a police team of SI Sarabjeet and Sandeep (reader staff), headed by DSP Daljeet Singh, during which he was tortured and mentally harassed.

Accused was tortured

...Ultimately, he ended his life by jumping off the second floor (of the court building) due to harassment and torture caused by the police team — Haryana human rights commission

It added, “On February 5, 2021, after his production before the court of CJM, Fatehabad, he was remanded to judicial custody, and when he was in the custody of ASI Surinder Pal and HC Sandeep Kumar, he jumped from the second floor of the court building. He was taken to the Civil Hospital, Fatehabad, from where he was referred to Maharaja Agrasen Medical College (MAMC), Agroha, where he succumbed to his injuries on February 6, 2021.”

“…it is a fit case for grant of compensation because in this case, deceased Sudhir, who was just 23 years of age, had to remain under severe threat, which continued for three days, i.e. from February 3, 2021, to February 5, 2021, and ultimately he ended his life by jumping off the second floor due to harassment and torture caused by the police team headed by DSP Daljeet Singh, SI Sarbjeet and SI Sandeep (reader staff) and other police officials of the Fatehabad City Police Station,” stated the HHRC.

The commission added, “The state of Haryana can recover the amount of compensation from the police officials who are found guilty, if it so desires. The state government should also consider taking action against the police officials who are found guilty as has been affirmed by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Fatehabad, in his judicial inquiry report.”

Sudhir was arrested in a case registered under sections 366A (for procuration of minor girl), 506 (criminal intimidation), 363 (for kidnapping), 34 (for the act done by several persons with common intention) of IPC, and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (for aggravated penetrative sexual assault), and the SC/ST Act. He was produced before the court on February 5, 2021, for a seven-day policy custody, which was refused.

When he was being taken to the Agroha hospital, he had told his brother Rahul that policemen had threatened him that he would be beaten up in the jail too. It also came to the fore that he was stripped off his clothes and beaten up in illegal police custody in front of three persons of his village.

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