Nearly 150 irate Sohna residents staged a protest in front of the Gurgaon police commissioner's office on Thursday. The demonstration came in the wake of allegations of custodial torture on Om Veer at Sohna police station last Saturday.
Police commissioner Alok Mittal gave a patient audience to the crowd that also included some senior BJP and Haryana Janhit Congress leaders. "We have taken swift action in the matter, suspended the three officers said to be involved in the incident and registered an FIR. Now the rest should be left to the law," said Mittal.
The crowd was particularly agitated as they thought that the medical report by a three-member board that had examined the victim a couple of days ago had diluted the matter. "The medical board had been set up in an impartial manner as per the demand of the victim. Now that they have submitted their report, there is no question of a second medical examination," said Mittal, responding to the demands for a second medical examination outside the state, possibly in Delhi.
"Going by this report, the three policemen found guilty prima facie cannot be booked under Section 377 IPC. The FIR has been registered under sections 341, 323 and 34 IPC," said advocate Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, ex-president of the Gurgaon Bar Association.
{{/usCountry}}"Going by this report, the three policemen found guilty prima facie cannot be booked under Section 377 IPC. The FIR has been registered under sections 341, 323 and 34 IPC," said advocate Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, ex-president of the Gurgaon Bar Association.
{{/usCountry}}Under Section 341 IPC, a person is charged with wrongfully restraining a person; Section 323 is against voluntarily causing hurt and Section 34 covers acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.
"The law and order situation in Haryana has gone from bad to worse and the custodial torture incident is an evidence of it. We want serious action against the culprits," said Sudha Yadav, former MP and national general secretary of the BJP.
Three policemen of Sohna police station, including the in-charge of Sohna police post, had been swiftly suspended on charges of excessive use of force against Veer after the latter alleged that he had been physically tortured by the trio. An FIR had also been registered on Wednesday against the three accused.