PRESS RELEASE

New Delhi, 21st August, 2015

On a media report alleging that NOIDA police victimized a samaritan, who saved the lives of two road accident victims, the National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh calling for a detailed report within four weeks.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of Ritesh Gupta, who helped the road accident victims.

Reportedly, on the 9th August, 2015, Ritesh Gupta, an HR manager of a leading automotive engineering firm in Manesar, Haryana, saw a Maruti Swift car hit two young boys on a motorcycle near NOIDA Phase-II Police Station and sped away. As a good citizen, he picked up the injured duo - Yogendra (aged 21) and Tarun (aged 11) of Greater NOIDA and drove them, in his car, to the Yatharth Hospital in NOIDA for treatment.

According to the media report, after admitting the injured in the hospital, he also dutifully informed the family of the victims and also the police. Ritesh was reportedly harassed by the NOIDA police, which reached the hospital. He was detained nearly ten hours by the police after branding him as the one who caused the accident and fled from the spot.

The police allegedly, cooked up a story that he was chased down by them. His pleas went unheeded. He was detained in NOIDA Phase - II Police Station from 02:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and forced to strike a deal with the victims' family by paying them ten thousand rupees. The cops also allegedly extorted two thousand rupees from Ritesh.

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