A police outpost in-charge and six civilians have been formally accused in a serious case of alleged custodial torture in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The action follows a court order after a young detainee claimed he was brutally assaulted and even forced to drink urine while in police custody.
Court Orders FIR After Shocking Allegations
The case came to light after the Chief Judicial Magistrate's (CJM) court in Banda directed the registration of a First Information Report (FIR). The complaint stems from a 25-year-old man detained on suspicion of theft. He alleges that during his detention at the Khaptiha Kalan police outpost, he was subjected to extreme physical abuse and humiliation.
The victim stated that on September 1, he was taken to the outpost where the alleged torture occurred. He claims he was severely beaten, threatened with a fake police encounter, and in a deeply degrading act, forced to drink urine. The assault was so violent that it resulted in two fractured fingers.
Background of the Detention and Accused Named
The young man had initially been detained in connection with theft complaints from two houses in Piprahari village. These incidents were reported on August 27 and August 31. Interestingly, two of the civilians now named in the torture FIR, Jwala and Pankaj, were the ones who had reported the burglaries.
The FIR for custodial torture names seven individuals:
- Harisharan Singh, the in-charge of Khaptiha Kalan police outpost.
- Six civilians: Ramroop, Bhaiya, Pankaj, Jwala, Vidyadhar, and Sunil.
Police Response and Next Steps
Inspector Rajesh Kumar of the Pailani police station has acknowledged the FIR. He stated that any further action against the police officer named in the report will be determined only after a thorough investigation into the victim's grave allegations of torture and humiliation during his detention.
This case has once again brought the issue of police conduct and custodial violence into sharp focus. The court's intervention to order the FIR underscores the seriousness of the accusations. The investigation's findings will be crucial in determining accountability for the alleged human rights violations inside the police outpost.
