Drugs case accused says tortured in Patiala jail

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 29

An accused in a drugs case not only complained of inhuman treatment in judicial custody by Patiala Central Jail Superintendent Rajan Kapoor and Deputy Superintendent Teja Singh, but also showed injury marks at a Patiala court.

Patiala Special Judge Kamaljit Lamba has referred the complaint to the Chief Judicial Magistrate asking him to pass necessary orders. He has also been directed to pass orders for the complainant’s medical examination.

Taking up another application filed by Vishal Singh for his transfer from the Patiala Central Jail to any other prison as he was apprehending harm for complaining against the officials, Judge Lamba directed that he be lodged at the Sangrur district jail.

He asserted, “From the perusal of the complaint, it seems that it is a case of alleged torture in judicial custody of applicant Vishal Singh...” In his order, he recorded that the applicant narrated inhuman treatment in judicial custody at the hands of Jail Superintendent Rajan Kapoor and Deputy Superintendent Teja Singh, after he was produced before the court.

The judge added law did not permit the use of third degree methods or torture on an accused while he was in police or judicial custody, pending investigation or trial. In the case in hand, torture of applicant was evident from the injury marks appearing on his back and hips.