NHRC notice to the Government of Uttar Pradesh over reported torture of a woman by police personnel in Lalitpur

New Delhi, 7th May, 2022

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that the police personnel of Mehrauli Police Station subjected a woman to extreme torture by stripping her and brutally beating with a belt in Lalitpur District of Uttar Pradesh. Reportedly, she was working as a domestic help at the residence of a police officer on the allegations of a theft in the house.

The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks including action against the responsible police officer and any relief granted the victim by the authorities.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media reports if true raise serious issue of violation of human right to the victim. The Police Officer and his family have not only misused their position but also subjected the victim to physical torture and cruelty.

According to the media report, carried today on 6th May, 2022, the wife of the police officer locked the victim at her home in the evening of 2nd May, 2022. Her husband, a police official, came along with a lady Inspector and started interrogating her about a theft in the house. Besides beating her brutally, they also subjected her to water cannon and electric shocks to force her accept the allegations. Later, sensing that the matter may snowball into a controversy, she was called to the Mehrauli police station where the police personnel tried to project the matter as a dispute with her husband and also initiated action against him for disturbing peace.

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