Pune, Sep 24 Two FIRs were registered on Thursday against 18 personnel attached to Pune’s Bharati Vidyapeeth police station on the directions of Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) over allegations of custodial assault, illegal detention and public humiliation of some persons who were detained, including children in conflict with law.
The cases were registered on complaints filed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sanket Satish Gosavi of Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department (CID), following MSHRC’s September 9 judgment and subsequent directions of the state Director General of Police.
On September 9, the MSHRC recommended the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against top Pune police officials for alleged custodial torture, illegal detention, and the public parading of children in conflict with law (CCL) by tying them to the bonnet of a vehicle on July 21.
The three juveniles were tied with ropes to the bonnet of a police vehicle and paraded on a road from Ambegaon Pathar police outpost towards the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station. These minors were detained in connection with a murder case registered at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station.
As per the complaint, the police personnel assaulted the children with bamboo sticks and batons during the episode, with senior inspector Manasingh Patil and other personnel allegedly using a loudspeaker to identify the children as accused or killers in the murder case. The complaint said the mother of the deceased attempted to assault one of the children during this public humiliation.
The MSHRC’s fact-finding report, which preceded the FIRs, had recorded that the bonnet parade was supported by oral and electronic evidence. The MSHRC had earlier taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance after videos of the incident surfaced and were circulated widely.
The second FIR relates to allegations concerning the illegal detention and assault of eight children in conflict with law between July 20 and 24. The complaint alleges the children were kept in police custody beyond the prescribed period and were produced before Juvenile Justice Board only on July 25.
The FIR said the children were assaulted with bamboo sticks and batons while in custody. While police personnel prepared records showing that some of them had been handed over to parents or relatives, CCTV footage and statements before the Commission indicated that they had remained in police custody, it said.
Four of the these children were also allegedly subjected to public humiliation and assault during the bonnet parade. The complaint says that four of the children belonged to the Scheduled Caste community, resulting in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act being invoked.
A separate FIR concerns four adults arrested in connection with Bharati Vidyapeeth police station. The complaint alleges that although the four surrendered at the police station around 3 pm on July 5, their arrests were formally recorded only at 10.30 pm.
The four were allegedly assaulted with sticks and lathis while in police custody and were later taken to an SRA colony near Lake Town on July 7, where they were allegedly made to sit on their knees, beaten and forced to apologise publicly.
The complaint says there is no corresponding entry in the police station’s General Diary or vehicle logbook regarding the movement of the four detainees to SRA colony.
The two FIRs invoke provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and, in the case concerning the minors, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The MSHRC had earlier directed that its fact-finding report and accompanying material be treated as an FIR and called for an expeditious investigation. It had also said the investigation should be entrusted to an officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police or above, as allegations in the matter extended to senior police officials.
In August, the State Human Rights Commission took suo motu action over the alleged parading of the minors on the bonnet of a police vehicle and set up a fact finding committee to probe the incidents.
(PTI News)
