Dark Side Of The Badge: 14-year-old summoned to police station

RANCHI: A 14-year-old girl was summoned to a police station in Latehar without an FIR on June 14 and tortured. A cop in Dhanbad not consenting to senior colleagues' "unlawful" acts was found hanging in the police station on June 18. Eight police men barged into a newspaper office in Bokaro on June 19 and beat the bureau chief mercilessly for no reason.A woman accused in a dowry case was tied with ropes and brought from Arwal in Rajasthan to Garhwa on June 21.
The incidents reported from the four districts of Jharkhand in the last one week have left the police department red-faced. While in two cases, the perpetrators were suspended, in the other two, constitutional institutions - the high court, the state commission for protection of child rights and the Press Council of India - had to direct the state government for protecting the rights of the common people.
In an internal meet with range DIGs and SPs, director general of police DK Pandey on Wednesday had to remind them of the laws and proceedings that must be adhered to.
The minor girl, who had allegedly eloped with a boy, was summoned to Manika police station in Latehar for interrogation. But the girl was left traumatised by police torture and had to be admitted in Rims.
Jharkhand chief justice Virendra Singh took suo motu cognizance and issued showcause notices to the state government and the district administration. SCPCR has also sought a report, yet in the name of action, officer incharge and ASI of the said police station have been suspended.
MS Bhatia, IG operations and spokesperson of Jharkhand police, said disciplinary action would be taken against erring cops at Manika police station for procedural lapses.
The opposition in the state is training their guns on the government over the death of inspector of Topchanchi police station, Umesh Kachchap. He was found hanging in the police station, but various political parties conducted separate inquiries to claim that the inspector "was not subscribing to the unlawful activities of seniors because of which he was eliminated".
Leader of the opposition Hemant Soren on Thursday wrote to the chief minister demanding CBI probe and maintained that the SSP was kept away from the investigations by his (the chief minister's) orders, which indicated that even the government apprehended foul play.
Chief minister Raghubar Das visited the Kachchap widow and handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to her. He also ordered an inquiry by a special investigation team comprising cabinet secretary Mast Ram Meena and ADG CID Ajay Kumar.
The Garhwa SP had to suspend five policemen, including an SI, for bringing a woman from Rajasthan with a rope tied around her waist. Bhatia admitted procedural lapse in this case as well. "Handcuffing and tying with rope are not allowed unless absolutely necessary and it has to be investigated here," he said.
The Press council of India has sought a report from the Bokaro SP through the state chief secretary about the assault of Santosh Kumar Singh, the bureau chief of a vernacular daily.
The council has asked the police to file a report within two weeks, considering it a case of attack on the freedom of press.
Though repeated calls and texts to additional chief secretary, home NN Pandey and DGP Pandey remained unanswered, Bhatia admitted that the suspension was not the only punishment for defaulting police officers and disciplinary action would be taken.
"The headquarters is preparing to arrange training and refresher courses for police personnel so that they abide by the rule book and directions of the court passed from time to time while conducting raids, investigation, executing arrest warrants or interrogating minors," he said.
The SIT team has also been asked to look into the incident of police firing on a truck driver on GT road that had prompted Dhanbad police to involve Kachchap in the case forcing him to lodge false case. CM directed SSP Dhanbad to keep away from the investigation.
The role of Latehar police remained doubtful as they deployed two women constables in plain clothes in the name of assisting the victim. Police later put pressure on the family to go back to Manika without even allowing them to seek discharge slip from hospital.
As the State Committee for Protection of Child Rights and the People's Union for Civil Liberties teams visited the hospital to record the statement of the minor girl, to prevent further embarrassment, girl and her father Rajendra Ram were coerced to leave hospital on Wednesday. Ram could collect discharge papers of his girl child from hospital on Thursday.
Based on a complaint by Bokaro Patrakar Sangh, the National Human Rights Commission registered a case of rights violation on Thursday.
President of Gyanendu Jaipuriar said that apart from an attack on the freedom of press, the arbitrary attack on the bureau chief was a gross violation of human rights, especially when it was carried out by policemen who are supposed to protect life and property.