New Delhi, May 17
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to the Punjab police on the death of a 37-year-old
Dalit man who is alleged to have died in police custody last month.
The
Commission has asked the Punjab Government to respond to the notice within four weeks.
Acting on a complaint from the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) about the custodial death of Balbir Singh in Sadar police station, Kapurthala, the NHRC has issued notice to the Director-General of Police and Superintendent of Police, Kapurthala.
The Commission has also directed that the explanation of the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of Kapurthala may be called for as to why they did not inform the Commission about Balbir Singh’s death within 24 hours.
According to the Commission’s guidelines issued on December 14, 1993, the police is required to report custodial deaths to the Commission within 24 hours.
The ACHR had asked the Commission to direct the
Punjab government order a judicial probe into Balbir Singh’s death, suspend the Officer-in-charge of the police station concerned and submit the post-mortem report.
It has also demanded that an interim compensation of Rs 5 lakh be paid to the next of kin of the deceased.
