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Chandigarh family alleges youth’s illegal detention by police
Hours after the Chandigarh family moved a habeas corpus writ petition before the Punjab and Haryana high court, alleging illegal detention, the 23-year-old youth returned home
A Chandigarh family has alleged illegal detention and custodial torture of a 23-year-old youth, who was reportedly rounded up for questioning in connection to an armed robbery in Sector 28. Police have denied the allegations.
Hours after the family, which resides in Sector 29, moved a habeas corpus writ petition before the Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday, the youth returned home.
In the petition moved by Sunita Rani, through her counsel advocate Padamkant Dwivedi, she sought the production of her son, Nitin, who she alleged had been picked up by the CIA Staff, Sector 26, in front of his fiancee from the market in Sector 29 around 8pm on November 24.
Sunita alleged the uniformed cops had slapped Nitin multiple times and then stashed him in a police vehicle. According to the petition, the male cops also slapped Nitin’s fiancee when she tried to intervene.
The petitioner alleged that when she and other family member went to the police station in Sector 26, the cops claimed that Nitin had been detained for some inquiry and he would return home in the morning. “Instead, about 10-12 police officials entered and searched our house the next morning. The police also checked footage of CCTV cameras installed in the house besides our car parked outside and took away its keys,” alleged the mother.
After Nitin returned home on Friday afternoon, the family alleged he was limping and had injury marks on his body. “He was being pressurised to confess to the armed robbery,” alleged Sunita while talking over the phone.
Police deny, HC seeks affidavits
Earlier, additional public prosecutor Parampreet Singh Paul on Friday submitted before the high court (HC) that “Nitin has never been illegally detained, nor is confined in any of the police stations falling within the jurisdiction of Chandigarh”.
The HC has asked station house officers of both Sector 26 and the Industrial Area to submit affidavits in this regard within one week. The court also directed both SHOs to ensure Nitin’s production before the court on November 30.
Superintendent of police (SP, operations) Ketan Bansal, said: “We have been questioning a few youths but no one was detained by the operation cell.”
Police have been questioning drug addicts, history-sheeters and other suspects in connection to the armed loot near the mango orchard in Sector 28 on November 18 . The person who executed the robbery is suspected to have fired at a home guards volunteer on November 23.
Sources in the police, privy to the investigation, claim that half a dozen youths were rounded up by different teams for questioning. All were reportedly let off on Friday after the robbery victim failed to identify them.
