Panjab University students allege torture, SSP to look into it
A local court on Wednesday directed UT Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to probe allegations of torture and harassment by students booked for Tuesday’s violence in Panjab University.
A local court on Wednesday directed UT Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to probe allegations of torture and harassment by students booked for Tuesday’s violence in Panjab University.
The court of judicial magistrate first class (JMIC) Jagmeet Singh also told the SSP to submit the report on the next date of hearing on April 26.
The police had produced 53 students — accused of rioting, attempt to commit culpable homicide, causing damage to public property and defacement — before the court. Sending the accused to judicial custody until the next hearing, the court also directed the SSP to conduct a fresh medical examination of accused. The students alleged they were beaten up even after arrest An accused Sandeep Kumar claimed they were beaten up with belts.
Three women accused stated in open court they were harassed by the cops. One of them even deposed that she was touched on her private parts and beaten with sticks on her back.
The girls alleged that sanitary napkins were denied to them in custody, and that they were abused and manhandled during interrogation. Another student, Buta Singh, alleged that some cops made fun of his caste as he was from a Scheduled Caste and made derogatory comments.
Other accused alleged that police officials used abusive language during interrogation. Some said they were made to sing all night in custody. The court also ordered fresh medical examination of 13 accused — who claimed that their medical hadn’t been properly done — from GMSH-16. A medical board has been formed comprising two doctors — from the PGIMER and the GMCH has been formed.