Stop illegal detention, cops told

PUNE, Jan 10: Taking serious cognisance of two incidents of custodial deaths, the inquiry of which is to be conducted by the Crime Investigation Department (CID), Special Inspector General of Police, Kolhapur range, O P Bali today said that he had given directives to the district police not to “illegally” detain any person in police stations.

He told newspersons that he had directed all the district police headquarters not to detain any person for any offence which is non-congisable. “There is a considerable amount of risk when a person with a non-cognisable offence is put in a lock-up. The person is severely affected by this kind of punishment,” Bali remarked. In order to check whether his directives were being followed, Bali conducted surprise inspections at police stations in several areas. During the surprise checks, Bali said, he discovered instances where persons had been detained for non-cognisable offences. The concerned police officials had been suspended and are facing a departmental inquiry.