HC slaps Rs. 1 lakh fine on cops for humiliating lawyer

The Patna high court on tuesday ordered the state government to pay Rs 1. lakh as compensation to a lawyer who was tortured and humiliated by police while carrying out a raid at his house here during night.

The Patna high court on tuesday ordered the state government to pay Rs 1. lakh as compensation to a lawyer who was tortured and humiliated by police while carrying out a raid at his house here during night.

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Justice VN Sinha passed the order on a writ application filed by Patna high court lawyer Hargovind Singh 'Himkar'.

Justice Sinha also made it clear that the compensation amount should be recovered from erring policemen after subjecting them to departmental proceedings.

Taking serious note of the violation of the constitutional mandate of protection of life and personal liberty, justice Sinha said, "During the (departmental) proceedings they (erring policemen) should be either placed under suspension or reverted to police lines."

Himkar had moved the court alleging that Rajeev Nagar police station officer in-charge G.D. Upadhya, sub-inspector RS Singh and other policemen forcibility entered his Nepali Nagar residence at 10pm on May 10, 2012. They not only abused him, but also his family members, in violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution that guarantees right to life and liberty, he said.

Pleading for disciplinary proceedings against policemen, Himkar claimed that they had threatened him and his family members for extraneous consideration in the name of illegal construction. To substantiate the claim, Himkar also produced a video clip of the incident that was recorded through a mobile phone.