NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a probe into the death of a 25yearold married youth in a police lock up of Patiala district in May this year.

While hearing a writ petition filed by deceased’s mother and brother alleging that Amrik Singh, a resident of village Shatrana in Patiala district, had been tortured to death, the Division Bench of Justice G.N. Ray and Justice S.P. Bharucha told the CBI to submit the probe report within three months.

For, while the family members maintain that Amrik Singh had died as a result of police torture, the police authorities claim he had committed suicide by hanging in the police lock up.

Petitioner’s counsel, R.S. Sodhi had submitted that on May 8, a police informer, known in the local parlance as CAT, had come to tractor workshop belonging to Amrik Singh and his brother Bhagwant Singh, and demanded a sum of Rs 20,000. And when they expressed their inability to pay a huge sum, he went away threatening them with dire consequences.

Thereafter on the next morning, a police party from the Patran police station came in a vehicle and took the two brothers away. And in the police station in front of Bhagwant Singh, his brother was given severe beating and electric shocks on his tongue and the private parts, the petition stated.

Subsequently, on May 10, the two brothers were taken to the Shatrana police post, where again Amrik Singh was beaten up in front of his brother, resulting in his death, the petitioners said.

But, Harinder Singh Chahal, SSP, Patiala, in his affidavit before the Apex Court, claimed that an unknown person, who later disclosed his name as Amrik Singh, was apprehended by a police party on May 10, during the nakabandi. And on his ‘personal search,’ a rifle and four cartridges were recovered.

Chahal further stated that after questioning, Amrik Singh was brought to the Shatrana police post and lodged in a lock up at 1:30 a.m. on May 11. And at about 5:30 a.m. Amrik Singh committed suicide by hanging himself with a strong nala (tape) of the kashiara (long underwear).

The SSP also informed the court that he had suspended a head constable and the sentry, who was on duty at the time of incident for being ‘negligent.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 15, 1995