Fake encounter: Rights panel orders probe

The state Human Rights Commission has directed the government to conduct a CB-CID inquiry within six months into an alleged fake encounter.

The family of the youth,Pawan,had filed petitions with various authorities including the Commission and the chief minister alleging that the police were threatening to kill him and appealing to them to save his life. The encounter in Thakurganj on February 2 occurred a day before their plea for lodging a criminal case against the policemen concerned was listed to come up for hearing in court.

The Commission said its investigation wing had conducted an inquiry and found that some of the allegations made by the victims parents were true. It asked Principal Secretary (Home) to initiate a CB-CID inquiry and send a compliance report within six weeks.

Criticising the Commissions decision not to lodge an FIR against the policemen following its own inquiry,Pawans father Ram Babu said: We want action against the police team involved in the encounter,not another inquiry. Before her son died,Pawans mother Rama Devi had filed complaints with the district magistrate,the superintendent of police,the chief minister and the state Human Rights Commission.

In her complaint to the Commission,she had named ASP (West) B P Ashok,Circle Officer (Chowk) Anup Kumar,Station Officer of Talkatora Sudhir Pal Dhama,Station Officer of Thakurganj,Constables Mritunjay and Anil Bishnoi as those responsible for her sons death.

In her complaints,she had identified Sudhir Pal Dhama as the officer who had threatened to kill Pawan and had been harassing the family persistently. None of the authorities acknowledged her complaint,she alleged.

On February 1,Rama Devi had filed an application in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate,seeking the registration of an FIR against Sudhir Pal Dhama,five other policemen and an alleged police informer for threatening to kill Pawan,thrashing her,and harassing the family. Following the encounter,the family moved the National and State Human Rights Commissions,demanding an inquiry and the registration of an FIR against the policemen. The police allegedly continued to pressurise and threaten the family.

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Ram Babu said their application to the court was withdrawn by their advocate owing to police pressure. He had even moved for the withdrawal of the application pending with the Human Rights Commission,but the family informed the Commission that he had acted without their consent.

The family then hired another advocate,who filed an application saying he did not want to pursue the matter. The new advocate was also acting under the influence of the police,Ram Babu said.

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