NHRC soothing balm for Pinya Kale family

NEW DELHI, JAN 22: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the State Government to pay Rs two lakh as compensation to the de...

NEW DELHI, JAN 22: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the State Government to pay Rs two lakh as compensation to the dependents of a man killed in police custody and sought action against officials for "concocting" false reports about his death.

The NHRC has asked the Government to pay immediate interim relief within six weeks to the widow and children of Pinya Kale who had been picked up on suspicion and beaten to death in police lock-up with sticks and belts, the commission said here yesterday.

The commission’s order came following a report of the Superintendent of Police, Pune and a petition from the Denotified and Nomadic Tribals’ Rights Action Group.

The action group had alleged that Kale was taken into police custody and tortured to death but his body was kept in partially buried condition at the time of identification by his wife and buried thereafter, NHRC said.

On the other hand, the police report claimed that police officials on night duty noticed that the suspect, on seeing the police, tried to run away and fell down sustaining injuries. Later, Kale was taken to hospital where he was declared dead.

On NHRC’s directions, the State Government sent a report stating that post-mortem had been carried out. On the complaint of Kale’s widow, the body was exhumed and a second post-mortem conducted which found that the death had occurred due to multiple injuries with evidence of head injury, NHRC said in a release.

Later, it was found out Kale, who had been picked up in the presence of a witness, was beaten up in the lock-up with sticks and belts and he died due to the injuries sustained therein, NHRC said.

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The initial story of the police was false and concocted, it said, adding the accused policemen have since been arrested and are under suspension while investigation is on.

The commission directed the State Government to take up appropriate action against all the officers concerned who had concocted false reports and had ignored the injuries on the person of the deceased for doctoring the inquest report to suit the offenders, the NHRC release said.

The commission said it was a fit case for grant of immediate interim relief.

It said out of Rs two lakh, a sum of Rs 25,000 shall be paid in cash to the widow of the deceased and the remaining Rs 1,75,000 be deposited in the names of his wife and children, if any, in any of the nationalised bank of the choice of the beneficiaries in fixed deposit for three years.

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The State Government should pay relief within six weeks, NHRC said.