E-Paper
HC seeks UP DGP’s affidavit over alleged atrocities on ex-army man by cops
Hearing the writ petition filed by Resham Singh, an ex-soldier of the Indian army and victim, the court requested the Advocate General of UP to assist this court in the matter and fixed the matter for hearing as a fresh case on July 12, 2021, for further hearing.
Hearing a plea filed by an ex-soldier of the Indian Army alleging that he was humiliated and tortured by the Uttar Pradesh Police, the Allahabad high court, after taking into account the injury reports and FIR filed by him, observed that “prima facie it shows a very sorry state of affairs and police atrocities.”
“It, prima facie, indicates a breach of fundamental rights of the petitioner guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India by the accused police officers/police personnel,” said the court.
Emphasising that the matter is a serious one and requires serious consideration of the court, a division bench comprising Justice Surya Prakash Kesarwani and Justice Gautam Chowdhary directed the director general of police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, to file a counter affidavit by means of his personal affidavit, indicating the action taken in the matter.
Hearing the writ petition filed by Resham Singh, an ex-soldier of the Indian army and victim, the court requested the Advocate General of UP to assist this court in the matter and fixed the matter for hearing as a fresh case on July 12, 2021, for further hearing.
A video of the said incident was also circulated on social media.
On May 2, 2021, the victim - Resham Singh, along with his mother and two sisters – was going from Pilibhit to Lakhimpur Kheri when they were stopped by police officials around 9am. The cops asked the victim and his family members as to where they were going and also asked for the papers of the car in which they were travelling.
Allegedly, as it was taking some time to sort out the papers, police officials started abusing the victim and his family members, which included his mother and two sisters.
The victim asked the police officials not to abuse them and also informed that he was a retired member of the armed forces of India.
Thereafter, the police officials got infuriated and threatened to teach the victim and his family members a lesson and then started beating the victim with lathis.
The police officials allegedly also started beating the victim’s mother and sisters and took them to the police station without taking the assistance of any woman police officer.
After forcefully being taken to the police station, the victim was disrobed and then tied up on a cot and brutally beaten up by police officials for two hours, the petitioner alleged.
Allegedly, the cops abused him on his Sikh identity, tied him up, tore out his turban, pulled his hair and beat him with lathis causing grave injuries on his body.
It was submitted that the police officials did not stop at physical torture of the victim. To further humiliate the victim, they also threatened to cut his unshorn hair.
Thereafter, he lodged an FIR against the erring officials and took treatment in the Army Hospital.
