Rights panel finds boy illegally detained in police station

He has been held for the second time, says police officer

A 16-year-old boy was found by the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) illegally detained, handcuffed and chained to a window at the Sampigehalli police station on Tuesday.

According to a press release, the commission received information that the minor had been detained at the police station since December 17. When a team reached the police station, they found the boy seated on a blanket and handcuffed with a leading chain attached to the bars of a window.

In the release, chairperson of the commission Nina Nayak said that the boy appeared to be in pain and showed several fresh bruises on his torso, arms and legs. He said that he was given little food and was chained since Saturday evening. He claimed that he was picked up by the police on December 17 at around 9.30 p.m. near his home at Sadiq Layout, Thaneersandra, when he was going to a pharmacy to purchase medicines. The boy alleged that he was beaten by several police men at the station.

The release stated that the boy’s parents received a call that he was at the police station. When they went there, they were not allowed to meet him. The boy’s father Dastagi, a welder, reportedly produced documents showing that his son was 16.

Mr. Dastagi claimed that his son was an eighth standard school drop-out. He told the commission that the police gave him no reason for picking up his son. The policemen all alleged that the boy had stolen money and three mobile phones.

The commission contacted Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East) B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda, who deputed Assistant Commissioner of Police M.N. Chandrappa to look into the matter. When questioned by Mr. Chandrappa and Ms. Nayak, Sampigehalli inspector K. Nanjunde Gowda refuted the claims made by the boy. He claimed that the boy was picked up on Tuesday. However, no complaint against the boy had been received at the station, the release said.

The commission was informed that no diary entry had been made or FIR filed. The inspector also stated that there was another case pending in the neighbouring police station and the boy was picked up for inquiry.

Both the Assistant Commissioner of Police and the inspector assured the commission that the boy would be presented before a member of the Juvenile Justice Board. The commission has directed the inspector to submit records pertaining to the apprehension of the minor by 3 p.m. on Wednesday. A complaint has been lodged at the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission by SICHREM.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ravikanthe Gowda told The Hindu that the boy has been arrested for the second time. He said that the minor was a habitual offender and that he was involved in four theft cases. After the arrest, the stolen goods were recovered from him, he added.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2733471.ece

Boy alleges police torture

BANGALORE, August 4, 2011

TEEN’S TRAUMA: Justice S.R. Nayak, Chairperson, Karnataka State Human Rights Commission, visiting Ashok at the K.C. General Hospital in Bangalore on Wednesday.

The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has ordered an inquiry into the alleged torture of a 17-year-old boy by the Inspector and Sub-Inspector of Mahalakshmi Layout Police Station.

According to a complaint filed by the victim’s father with the KSHRC on Tuesday, Ashok was brutally “beaten up by Police Inspector Anil Kumar and Sub-Inspector Patil in the early hours of July 26, when they picked him up for interrogation”.

Picked up

“The Mahalakshmi Layout police had picked up the boy to question him about two men, Kulli and Mani,” said Justice S.R. Nayak, KSHRC Chairperson. “When they didn’t get details of their whereabouts, the two took him to an isolated location and thrashed him on his knees and leg.”

‘Coercion’

“The boy was made to sign on a blank piece of paper, which the police used to file an FIR against Kulli and Mani,” said Prakash Kariappa of the South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), who is closely following the case.

Multiple fractures

On Wednesday, a KSHRC team visited the hospital where Ashok is being treated for multiple leg fractures. The KSHRC, which is inquiring into the case, was in the process of obtaining the statements of the policemen allegedly involved in the case, said Justice Nayak. However, Mahalakshmi Layout police denied torture.

“Ashok has had cases against him in the police station for assault and theft, among other things. That night, he was attacked by Kulli and Mani, and we think gang rivalry was involved. We took him to the hospital where he and his family told the KSHRC the inspector beat him up,” said a source at the station.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Bangalore/article2321348.ece

Notice issued by SHRC in custodial case

SICHREM’s complaint about the custodial death of Mr Lokesh has prompted the SHRC to send notice to the DGP the IGP and the IGP in the Human Rights Commission for report within 6 weeks.

See below for further details:

Complaint to SHRC concerning police caning of striking teachers

SICHREM have lodged a complaint with the SHRC following reports that police caned members of the Unemployed Physical Education Teachers’ Association who were protesting Banappa Park.

Their protest was to draw attention to Government indifference in appointing physical trainers, drawing and music teachers to the existing 41,000 vacant positions in various government schools across the State.

The protestors threatened that they would commit suicide if action were not taken by Tuesday by the Education Department. It understood that a few members at the protest consumed pesticide.

It is learnt, that, the Halasuru Gate police resorted to lathicharge to bring the situation under control after some of them attempted to commit suicide and more tried to follow suit.

Photographs in the press show the extent of police brutality with the lathi marks evident on the protestors. The use of the cane should have been replaced with other more humane methods of crowd control. It was a clear breach of the UN’ Basic Use of Force and Firearms.

To read the complaint: comp of striking teachers assult BLR 1 July 2010[1]

Tortrure and abuse by police personnel of Robertsonpet Police Station & Jailors of Kolar District.

SICHREM are investigating reports of brutality inflicted on Mr Nava Kumar a member of a scheduled caste.

 The allegations concern brutality and torture committed by police officers of Robertsonpet Police station, an assault by a Jailor in Kolar district and apparent inaction by the Judge who remanded Mr Kumar, but failed to monitor his situation appropriately.

Naturally, we take these allegations very seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation. We have filed a compliant with the State Human Rights Commission.

Read the complaint filed with the SHRC: comp of torture Nava Kumar KOL 2 June 2010[1]

The wound certificate issued by doctors:

Move or we will shoot: forcible displacement and police brutality in Orissa.

On May 12, 2010, police lathi charged and fired on 300 villagers who refused to be evicted from their homes in Chandia, Kalinganagar. One person was killed and about thirty were injured-some critically. The purpose of the police operation was to clear land for the proposed Tata Iron and Steel project. This project will displace upto 20,000 people and effect upto 1 lakh more.

On May 15, 2010, police lathi charged, tear gassed and fired on protestors who refused to be forcefully evicted by the State in Balithutta, Jagatsinghpur. Again this was motivated by commercial considerations. This time it was the POSCO steel plant project which will displace at least 40,000 people, largely from the forest lands that the State Government is trying to illegally clear for this development project.

OUR QUESTIONS:

· Whose interests does the State represent?
· What/who endows the State the power to carry out horrific acts of violence against the people it is supposed to protect?

OUR DEMANDS:

· Withdraw all police forces from the areas of civil occupancy
· Give immediate medical attention for the injured
· Give financial compensation to those killed and injured
· Initiate a judicial inquiry into these two incidences
· File criminal charges against the authorities that ordered these police attacks and ensure their immediate removal from official responsibilities.
· The withdrawal of TATA and POSCO projects from Orissa and any other areas of the country where the costs of a project have become indefensible in terms of the loss of lives, freedom and democratic choice.

NO LONGER must we tolerate the criminal behaviour of the State machinery who act in the interests of major corporations while trampling on citizens civil liberties.

Protestors, organised by the Campaign for Justice and Peace (Karnataka), show opposition to the proposed POSCO project

SICHREM fights police brutality

In the last couple of weeks, SICHREM has (unfortunately) submitted further complaints to the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission concerning police brutality.

The first complain concerned the torture  of A. Babu, a member of a Scheduled Caste by police personnel of Marikuppam Police Station, Kolar District.  See below for some particularly disturbing photos of A. Babu.

The second complaint related to the custodial death of Mahadev at The Bangalore Central Prison.

You can read SICHREM’s written complaints here:

comp of JD Mahadeva BLR April 23 2010

comp of torture babu KOL 23 April 2010

Police brutality continuing…

(Image taken from Deccan Chronicle)

SICHREM lodged another complaint with the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission regarding a case of alleged police brutality.

25-year-old J. Naveen and his friend were on their way home on April 11 evening when they were approached by two police constables and forced to pay a bribe of Rs 3,700.  The following day, Naveen returned to the station to speak to the Inspector about the bribery.

The following week, Naveen alleged that he was called to the Jalahalli police station about two of his friends being picked up.  As soon as Naveen entered the station, Naveen was beaten up by the police.

Police brutality

SICHREM has recently become involved in Prakasha Gunda’s case.  Prakasha, an ex-convict who has served a 12-year sentence in Parappana Agrahara jail, claims he is still regularly picked up by the police and subjected to torture each time a crime is reported in his neighbourhood or elsewhere.

Prakasha was last picked up by the police on March 13 and allegedly was tortured so badly by the police, including the removal of his toenails, and is now so weak that he cannot walk unaided.

SICHREM’s fact finding coordinator was approached by Prakasha’s advocate for assistance.  SICHREM has lodged a complaint with the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission on Prakasha’s behalf

Extra-judicial killing of a civilian

On 13 April 2010, the Times of India and The Deccan Herald reported a pre-dawn encounter in KG Halli where the city police shot a individual named Johnson, an individual wanted by the police for questioning in connection with past murder cases.  In an exchange of fire, HSR Layout Inspector Rajesh has received a bullet injury on his left shoulder, while three bullets, fired by two other inspectors, hit Johnson on his shoulder, chest and head while he was allegedly running away from the police.

This incident raises several issues such as the use of excessive force by police, the use of firearms on unarmed suspects, shooting to kill rather than shooting to maim and the proper identification of suspects.

Based on these newspaper reports only, SICHREM has requested the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission to take appropriate action and investigation of this case.  This investigation and (hopefully) intervention will help the dispensing of justice to the victim’s family as well as help in the reform of criminal justice in this country.

Click here to read SICHREM’s full complaint -  SHRC complaint – Johnson.

Please note that SICHREM has been reliant only on what has been reported by the newspapers – SICHREM has not been  involved in this case and does not have further information.