NHRC issues notice to Maharashtra DGP on Sangli custodial death

The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Director General of Police, Maharashtra, after taking suo motu cognizance of media reports that on November 6, police personnel beat to death a young man in custody in Sangli, and burnt his body in order to destroy the evidence.

The DGP has been given four weeks to submit a detailed report in the matter. The commission has also asked him to clarify why the police failed to inform about this custodial death despite the standing guidelines to report such incidents within 24 hours of the incident.

The commission observed that the contents of the media reports, if true, are disgusting, and added that law enforcing agencies are for the protection of the people.

Anyone who is a suspect of a crime, if taken into custody by police, is expected to be protected by his custodian. The gruesome act committed by the police personnel is the worst example of cruelty and lawlessness amounting to violation of right to life of the victim.

As per news report, one person was robbed of Rs. 2,000/- and his mobile phone at knife point, by two persons. Within 24 hours after the crime, the police arrested two suspects. Both of them were produced before the local court on November 6 and were remanded to police custody for three days.

On the night of November 6, both of them were reportedly taken from the lock up to the detection branch room where one of them was hung upside down from a ceiling fan, forcing his head in a bucket of water. He was, allegedly, beaten up so badly that he died in front of the other accused.

The body of the deceased and the other accused were then taken to the Civil Hospital and the doctors were reportedly told to give a favorable report.

As the doctors refused to toe their line, the policemen took Kothale's body along with the other accused to Ambaghat area in a private car.

On the morning of November 7, the other accused was kept at some spot near the Krishna River and the body of the deceased was set on fire at another spot by the police personnel by pouring kerosene. The body reportedly did not burn completely and they poured some petrol on it and burnt it again.