IPS sentenced to 2yrs jail in 15-yr-old custodial torture case

An IPS officer in Rajasthan has been sentenced to two years in prison for torturing three men at a police station in Rajsamand district 15 years ago, according to the victims' counsel.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Bhanu Kumar handed down the sentence to S N Khinchi, who was posted as Additional SP Rajsamand in 2000 when the incident occurred.
He is presently posted as the Deputy Inspector General of Police CID (Civil Rights).
However, on request of Khinchi's advocate, the court suspended the sentence for a month so that the officer can file an appeal.
It was alleged that the victims Ramesh Chandra Tank, Ramesh Chaplot and Bhagwati Lal were brought to the police station on October 2, 2000 on a complaint by a local man that they hurt his religious sentiments. The complaint was made to the Additional SP.

"The officer tortured and beat them. The victims were sent to judicial custody and were released after two days on October 4.

"On our request, a medical board was constituted and the board confirmed that they were beaten following which we filed a complaint in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate," S L Laddha, the advocate of the complainant Ramesh Chandra Tank, said today.
"The court took cognisance and recorded the statement of the three victims and the members of the medical board," he said.
"The court on Monday sentenced the officer S N Khinchi to a two-year imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1,000," Ladda said.