MSHRC recommends FIR against Pune cops over custodial torture, parading of minors

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission MSHRC has recommended registration of an FIR against senior Pune police officials over allegations of custodial torture illegal detention and publicly parading minors by tying them to the bonnet of a police vehicleThe Commission described the alleged incidents as serious violations of human rights and the rule of law Its full bench comprising Chairman Justice A M Badar and members Sanjay Kumar and Swapna Joshi directed Maharashtras Director General of Police DGP to treat the factfinding inquiry report as an FIRInquiry finds alleged police brutalityThe preliminary inquiry was conducted by a threemember committee comprising Special Inspector General of Police Dattatraya Karale Superintendent of Police Vishwas Pandhare and MSHRC Registrar Vijay KedarThe committees twopart report detailed allegations of custodial violence and psychological abuse involving minors and adults in separate casesThe report said that on July 21 personnel from Bharti Vidyapeeth police station tied three minors detained in a murder case to the bonnet of a police vehicle using ropes attached to the side mirrorsThe children classified as Children in Conflict with Law were allegedly paraded publicly from the Ambegaon Pathar outpost to the police station Senior police inspector Mansingh Patil reportedly announced over a loudspeaker that the children were suspects in a murder caseAccording to the report the public parade exposed the minors to relatives of the deceased who allegedly attempted to assault themMinors allegedly subjected to custodial violenceThe inquiry also found allegations that the minors were beaten with fibre batons and bamboo sticks while in custodyThe committee further stated that they were kept in police lockups beyond the statutory limits between July 20 and July 24 before being produced before the Juvenile Justice BoardThe report also referred to a separate incident involving the alleged custodial beating and public humiliation of four adults accused in another caseCommission flags senior officers conductThe MSHRC said Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar was aware of videos of the incident that had gone viral on the day it occurred However the Commission noted that the officers involved were transferred and a showcause notice concerning withholding of increment was issuedThe Commission observed that Kumar DCP Milind Mohite and ACP Rahul Aware had failed to take adequate action to protect human rights and had allegedly attempted a onesided inquiryAs allegations also involved Kumar who holds the rank of Additional Director General of Police the MSHRC recommended that the investigation be entrusted to an officer of ADGP rank or aboveWhen law enforcement officers weaponise their authority to inflict such treatment on a child they do not uphold the Rule of Law but utterly dismantle it the Commission observedThe MSHRC invoked Section 18c of the Protection of Human Rights Act and referred to the Supreme Courts ruling in Lalita Kumari v Govt of UP stressing that registration of an FIR is mandatory when cognisable offences are disclosed The Commission also pointed to alleged violations of the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya SanhitaWith inputs from PTI