NEW DELHI, JULY 20: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Delhi Government to pay an interim relief of Rs 60,000 to a shop keeper, who was illegally detained by some Delhi police personnel, for the agony, humiliation and financial loss suffered by him due to police action.The NHRC sources said the commission yesterday ordered the Delhi Government to pay the compensation amount to the victim, Subhash Chand, within four weeks and send the compliance report to the NHRC.The commission gave this direction on the basis of a complaint received on April 15 that Chand, who had been illegally detained by the officials of the special staff of North East police district of Delhi, was released only on payment of a bribe of Rs 30,000.The complaint had stated that an inquiry was held when the matter was brought to the notice of senior police officials and the delinquent police officials have been suspended.On receiving the complaint the NHRC had directed D R Karthikeyan, director general(investigation) of the commission to ascertain the facts. According to the report of the investigation team, four policemen of the northeast police district had picked up Chand from his shop in Bhajanpura along with two more persons and a three-wheeler containing 70 crates of cold drinks and took them to the police staff office in Seelampur.When the father of the victim went to the police station to request for his release, the policemen demanded Rs one lakh in return. Unable to pay the amount, the father complained to the Delhi police commissioner.As the police had detained the three persons illegally and had not lodged an FIR regarding the case so they were not produced in the court due to which the family did not get an opportunity to seek their bail.Subsequently, the relatives of Chand requested the sub inspector incharge of the police station to release the detainees. But he demanded Rs 50,000 for their release which was negotiated and brought down to Rs 30,000. Finally the police released thethree persons along with the three-wheeler containing only 59 crates of cold drinks which resulted in a further loss of Rs 3,875 to the complainant.The report said that though the guilty officials were suspended no formal case had been registered against them.The commission felt that the facts brought out by the report of the NHRC's investigation team clearly confirmed that Chand was harassed by the police authorities who had misused their powers, the sources added.
