NHRC notice to Karnataka DGP over prisoners row

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Director General of Police  and Inspector General of Police (Prisons) of  Karnataka asking them to submit a report within four weeks over allegations of severe beating and inhuman treatment to 32 inmates of Bangalore central jail.

The NHRC  had recieved a complaint from Lok Sabha MP Shobha Karandlaje alleging that the prisoners were beaten black and blue and shifted over night in the injured condition to various other jails at Mysore, Bellary, Belagavi and Davanagere.

The Commission has observed that the allegations regarding physical torture of the prisoners and their overnight transfer to other jails, in an injured condition, if true, raise serious issue of violation of their Right to Life and Dignity. "It need not be restated that a prisoner is not a slave of the State and is not denude of all his fundamental rights, while in judicial custody," the NHRC said in a press release.

The NHRC also said that the prisoners allegedly were inhumanely treated due to their initiative to stage a protest dharnainside the jail premises as they were not allowed to speak to D. Roopa, the DIG (Prisons) who had visited the jail.

She has, recently, brought out certain grave irregularities, going on inside the Bangalore Central Jail including, providing special and sophisticated kitchen to one of the prisoners, AIADMK's Sasikala and VIP treatment to another prisoner, Abdul Karim Lala Telgi, the commission stated.