NHRC notice to UP govt on custodial death

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports about the death of a man in police custody in Pilkhua on Sunday after he was brutally assaulted during interrogation in connection with a murder case.

He was allegedly kicked, punched, hit with planks of wood, given electric shocks and pierced with a screwdriver. A purported video of the victim's body, shows deep bruise marks on his posterior and left arm and stab wounds all over the body, the NHRC said in a statement.

The Commission observed that going by the media reports, it appeared to be a glaring instance of violation of human rights of an individual in police custody for which accountability rests on the police force.

Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police, demanding a detailed report in the matter.