Rs 2 lakh to be deducted from police officer's salary for

The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Wednesday directed the authorities to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to a person, who had been arrested in a case of mistaken identity 14 years ago, by deducting the amount from the salary of the police officer who nabbed him.

The compensation amount would be deducted in 20 equal instalments of Rs 10,000 from the salary of Satyajit Borah from February, 2020 for violating the human rights of the complainant, the AHRC said in its order.

Ramani Kalita was arrested in an attempt to murder case in 2005 by Borah, Sub-Inspector of Police of Chandmari police station here.

Kalita, in his complaint to the AHRC later, said the police officer was armed with an "incomplete" arrest warrant which did not have any mention of the age, father's name, actual address, and occupation of the accused.

The complainant said he had clarified before the police that another person by the same name was working in the office where he was posted but they did not pay heed to it, and he was remanded to 15 days' jail custody.

A full bench of the AHRC headed by Justice T Vaiphei said the police officer is guilty of negligence, arbitrariness and non-application of mind while executing that "vague" arrest warrant.

Borah could have detained the complainant for some time without producing him before the court for verifying his identity from the informant of the FIR, the order said.

The Commission said it was open to the state government to initiate a departmental enquiry against the officer for a major punishment in lieu of payment of compensation so recommended.