Jammu, January 23 : Police authorities were forced to order suspension of three officials including one Sub Inspector following protests by the people over the killing of a civilian, tortured to death by the police personnel at Chatru in Kishtwar district.
A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered into the death.
Reports said 64 years old Raja Ram son of Bishan Dass, a resident of village Tagoot in Dedpeth area, was heading towards his house when he was intercepted by the police personnel and was mercilessly beaten up by the cops at police post.
Locals said he was released the next day but the cops robbed him of Rs 18,000 of pension amount and a mobile phone.
The senior citizen couldn’t bear the trauma of police torture and reportedly died of cardiac arrest last night in hospital, where he was shifted after he felt uneasiness at home.
A large number of people took the body of Raja Ram to Dedpeth and blocked Kishtwar-Chatru road shouting slogans against police. The protesters kept dead body of the ex-servicemen on the road for more than five hours till senior police and civil officers rushed to the spot and assured the people of action in the matter.
Authorities later ordered suspension of Incharge Dedpeth Police Post Sub Inspector and two police constables. DCK/Adm/13/3610-14 dated January 22, 2014 ordered magisterial enquiry, besides directed SP Kishtwar to place SI Madan Lal under suspension.
It is worth mentioning here that the episode occurred on January 17, 2014. After that, Raja Ram in order to lodge complaint against the police officer and officials reached SP Office Kishtwar on January 18, 2014. He was not allowed to enter the main gate of SP Office.
On this, he filed complaint under section 323, 382, 504 and 506 against SI Madan Lal, Incharge Police Post Dadpath, Constable Shabir Ahmad and Constable Suresh Kumar before Chief Judicial Magistrate Kishtwar. He got his statements recorded there, maintaining therein that he has served the nation for 32 years as solider in Indian army and on January 16, 2014 after receiving pension from SBI Kishtwar he purchased his monthly liquor quota from Indian Army Canteen. He proceeded towards his home situated at Tagood by boarding a private commercial vehicle, carrying the pension and purchased material with him.
On reaching at Dadpath about 4:30 PM, the vehicle was stopped by these police personnel who started frisking. Due to his old age he could not board off quickly the vehicle at which the police personnel started mercilessly beating him, took him and his bag to Police Post. They further tortured and abused him. “These Police officials took away 2 bottles of rum and Rs 15000 cash from the bag and let me free,” he had alleged. He further alleged in the complaint that the police personnel posed threats to took away his life if he reported the matter to any quarter. Chief Judicial Officer Kishtwar Amit Sharma, taking cognizance, directed SP Kishtwar to conduct enquiry and submit the detailed report. The family members of the deceased alleged that after the incident he stopped taking his meals and swept all day, saying that “he has been humiliated and could not live until the accused be punished for their wrong act”.