annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
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INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Madhya Pradesh<br />
Religious minorities faced<br />
persecutions at the hands of the<br />
fundamentalist Hindu groups. 6<br />
II. Atrocities security <strong>for</strong>ces<br />
NHRC recorded high number of<br />
custodial deaths in Madhya Pradesh with<br />
71 cases registered in 1999-2000, 48 cases<br />
in 2000-2001, 45 cases in 2001-2002 and<br />
37 cases in 2002-2003. 7<br />
On 15 July 2004, Commercial Tax<br />
Deputy Commissioner R. K. Jain died<br />
while in Lok Ayukta police custody in<br />
Bhopal. He was arrested on 14 July 2004<br />
from his office <strong>for</strong> allegedly accepting Rs<br />
2,000 as bribe. He died at the Hamidia<br />
hospital at around 1.30 p.m. after he was<br />
shifted there in critical condition. Jain’s<br />
relatives alleged that he was murdered by<br />
the police. 8 On 16 July 2004, then chief<br />
minister Ms Uma Bharati announced that a<br />
judicial inquiry into the incident would be<br />
ordered. 9<br />
On 25 July 2004, a minor tribal boy,<br />
Bablu alias Jaibhan of Gram Danayacha in<br />
Sheopur district died in the custody of the<br />
Birpur police station. The Birpur police<br />
picked him up along with another tribal boy<br />
Ummaid while they were working in a<br />
field. Police told the relatives that they<br />
would be released after interrogation. But<br />
they were kept behind bars from 16 July to<br />
20 July 2004. Bablu was shifted to Seopur<br />
sub-jail on 21 July 2004 as his health started<br />
deteriorating. Later, he was admitted to<br />
Seopur district hospital from where he was<br />
referred to Gwalior hospital but died en<br />
route. The police cremated his body without<br />
in<strong>for</strong>ming the family members. 10<br />
Although in November 2004, the<br />
Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a<br />
police officer, who was responsible <strong>for</strong><br />
custodial death of a convict, Shambhu<br />
Tyagi in June 1984, the culprits of most<br />
custodial deaths went unpunished. 11<br />
On 15 June 1995, Hamid Khan died in<br />
police lock-up in Raisen district. After a<br />
magisterial inquiry, criminal cases were<br />
registered against some police personnel.<br />
Later the police sought to close the case<br />
but the court did not allow this. However,<br />
the culprits were yet to be punished. In<br />
1997, Govind Prasad died in police<br />
custody in Rewa. A case was registered<br />
and a magisterial inquiry was ordered. But<br />
the viscera <strong>report</strong> of the case was not<br />
obtained till July 2001. No action has been<br />
taken against any body <strong>for</strong> custodial death<br />
of Govind Prasad. In 1998, Pancham<br />
Kachhi died in police lock-up in Morena.<br />
The magisterial inquiry absolved the<br />
police officials. The State <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong><br />
Commission was not satisfied with the<br />
<strong>report</strong> and queried from the police who<br />
failed to reply <strong>for</strong> four years. In May 2001,<br />
Sundar, an undertrial, was found dead in<br />
Rajgarh district jail. It was revealed that<br />
the deceased Sundar was handcuffed and<br />
was kept hanging upside down. Hot water<br />
was poured on him and he was severely<br />
beaten up <strong>for</strong> two days. When his<br />
condition became precarious he was taken<br />
to hospital where he died. According to the<br />
doctors he was “brought dead”; but no<br />
action has been taken against any<br />
policeman. In July 2001, Kesar Singh was<br />
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