NHRC Intervenes in Gurgaon Minor Torture Case, Demands Police Report
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a deeply disturbing incident involving five minors who were abducted, held captive, and subjected to brutal torture for 18 hours in Gurgaon's DLF Phase 3 area over a week ago. In a decisive move, the commission has issued a notice to the Gurgaon police commissioner, mandating the submission of a detailed report on the case within a strict timeframe of two weeks.
Commission Cites Serious Human Rights Violations
NHRC issued the formal notice on Wednesday, explicitly labeling the incident as a "serious violation of human rights of the victims." Gurgaon police spokesperson, ASI Sandeep Turan, confirmed receipt of the notice, stating, "We have received the notice and will follow the orders. Accordingly, we will submit a reply within the time given by the commission." This action underscores the gravity of the case and the urgency with which authorities are expected to respond.
Details of the Harrowing Incident
The traumatic event unfolded on February 2, when the boys, aged between 10 and 13 years, were forcibly taken from an under-construction site. They were locked in a room at a PG building in U-Block under false suspicions of theft. The mother of one of the victims, who filed the initial police complaint leading to an FIR, described how the incident has left the children severely traumatized. "My son has stopped attending school and is terrified to go outside to play," she revealed, highlighting the lasting psychological impact.
According to the police complaint, a group of six men—identified as Harindra Lohia, Feroz Khan, Mohammad Jamauil, Deepak, Pradeep, and Sachin—carried out a series of violent assaults while allegedly in a state of intoxication. An FIR was registered on February 3 under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
- Section 115 (voluntarily causing hurt)
- Section 127(2) (wrongful restraint/confinement)
- Section 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter)
- Section 3(5) (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention)
- Section 351(3) (criminal intimidation)
Additionally, charges were filed under Section 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for aggravated penetrative sexual assault, indicating the severity of the abuse.
Mother's Heart-Wrenching Account of Violence
The mother provided a harrowing narrative to the media, detailing the extreme cruelty inflicted upon the children. "My child and the other boys were not only beaten but subjected to unspeakable cruelty," she said. She recounted that the perpetrators used heated electric bulbs to inflict burns on the boys and poured petrol on their genitalia, acts that have sparked widespread outrage and concern.
When she eventually tracked her son to the captivity site, she faced verbal abuse and was forced to sit on the floor under threats of violence. "They eventually released us, but issued a death threat, warning that if we reported the matter, they would kill us all," she added, underscoring the climate of fear that continues to haunt the family.
Family's Struggles and Ongoing Trauma
The woman, who works as a helper in a school and is the sole breadwinner for her family, moved from Bihar to Gurgaon to support her children. On the evening of February 2, she returned from work to find her son missing. "When I finally located him the next morning, he was being held captive. The men told me to leave and come back in two hours, but I refused... I sat right there, enduring their humiliation, until I could take my child back home," she described.
Now, the family lives in constant fear. "I am a widow trying to work to support us, but now I have to cut my work hours or ensure his older brother guards him. We are simply too afraid to leave him alone," she lamented, highlighting the practical and emotional toll of the incident. This case has brought to light critical issues of child safety, human rights, and law enforcement responsiveness in urban areas like Gurgaon.
