Delhi fruit vendor killed: NHRC issues notice to Commissioner

A day after it was reported that a fruit vendor has allegedly died in police custody and his body was later dumped, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognizance of the incident and issued a notice to the Delhi Police Commissioner, asking for a detailed report in the matter within six weeks.

"The Commission has observed that the allegation of a death in police custody is a matter of concern for it. It has been emphasizing that the police authorities and State machinery need to be sensitive towards the rights of persons taken into custody in connection with any criminal case," it stated.

"He has been asked to submit all relevant documents with his report, i.e., postmortem report, inquest report, video CD of the post-mortem and the magisterial enquiry report in the matter," it added.

The commission further observed that the incident amounts to violation of right to life of the victim and is indicative of inhuman approach of the police personnel who, reportedly, picked up the victim and thrashed him in their custody to an extent that he lost his life.

According to the media reports, the victim, Sompal was arrested by the police and taken to the Adarsh Nagar Police Station where, during questioning he was allegedly thrashed by three constables.

A few hours later, blood soaked body of Sompal was lying in the courtyard outside the police station, as he jumped from the terrace.

Reportedly, six police personnel including the SHO, who, allegedly, tried to cover up the incident by dumping the body of the deceased at another spot, have been placed under suspension and booked under various sections of the IPC.

A probe by the Sub Divisional Magistrate has been initiated.

The relatives of Sompal, who, hailed from Indore district of Madhya Pradesh, have alleged that he was beaten up in the custody by three constables following which he tried to escape. They think that policemen threw him down from the terrace.