NHRC orders Orissa Govt to compensate torture victim

NHRC orders Orissa Govt to compensate torture victim
UNITED NEWS OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, DEC 31: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Orissa government to pay an interim relief of Rs 50,000 to a boy who was illegally detained and physically abused in custody and to register cases against errant police officials responsible for it.

The commission asked the state government to hand over the investigation in the case to the state CID which should get the probe conducted by a person not below the rank of Superintendent of Police. The NHRC has also directed initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the SP Kandhamal, Phulbani who had sent a report to the commission regarding the incident for his ``lack of sensitivity towards the human rights problems of the citizenry.''

NHRC sources said on Friday that the commission has asked the state government to pay the compensation amount to the victim, Jaya Kumar Sahu, by the first week of January while the investigation report should be communicated to the commission by the first week of February2000.

Sixteen-year-old Jaya Kumar had complained to the commssion alleging that he was arrested by the officer-in-charge of Phulbani police station who also took away a sum of Rs 22,500, one gold chain, two silver chains and one gold ring and put him in the lock-up for three days. In lock-up he was abused and beaten-up.

Even after being produced in the court, he was not sent to a juvenile home but remanded to judicial custody. Later, he was sent to a regular prison where Jaya was subjected to physical and sexual abuse resulting in development of urine infection and bleeding, the complainant had alleged.

Taking cognizance of the complaint, the NHRC had issued notices to the DGP, Orissa who sent the report of the SP Kandhamal, Phulbani who stated that that the complainant and another person was arrested on charges of theft and smuggling of gem stones.