NHRC notice to DGP, Bihar and SSP, Patna on minor Dalit girl's beating in police custody by some persons

New Delhi, 8th August, 2013

Taking suo motu cognizance of a media report, the National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Director General of Police, Bihar and Senior Superintendent of Police, Patna calling for reports within four weeks into the allegations that a minor Dalit girl was subjected to torture in the presence of police personnel on 31st July, 2013.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the Dalit girl. It has also asked the Director General of Police and Senior Superintendent of Police, Patna, Bihar as to what legal and disciplinary action has been taken against the errant police officials for illegally detaining the victim in police custody as well as for neglect of duties u/s 4 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 by not preventing the accused from committing the atrocities on the victim.

According to the media report, the girl was picked up by the police to search her brother, who was absconding with a girl of other caste. The mother and brother of the absconding girl were also in the police vehicle, which drove throughout the night. Reportedly, the brother of the absconding girl bribed the police by giving them Rs.10000/- and two bottles of alcohol. Thereafter, he tore off the clothes of the Dalit girl and inflicted injuries on her hands and legs with burning cigarette and was also threatened. The police party merely kept on laughing while all this was going on. Later, the Dalit girl approached the SSP, Patna and subsequently, an FIR was filed against the absconding girl's family members, but no action has been taken against the police officials, who were party to the alleged incident of the atrocity.

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