annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Rajasthan
arrest, detention and torture has been
widely reported in Rajasthan.
At about 7.30 pm on 4 May 2004,
Ramesh Sharma and his brother, Anil
Sharma of Manfarah village in Jhunjunu
district were allegedly stopped by the
officer-in-charge and other police
personnel of Mandrela By-Pass outpost
when they were coming from Jhunujunu.
The policemen asked for the papers of
their motorcycle that they were riding.
Saying that their papers were illegible, the
policemen began rebuking the two
brothers in filthy language. On asking not
to rebuke them in such a way, the
policemen took the two brothers inside the
outpost, severely assaulted them with belts
and baton and robbed them off their
money. 15
On 7 October 2004, the police
reportedly lathicharged, lobbed tear gas
shell and fired in the air to disperse a
crowd of students of a government
secondary school and villagers who were
protesting against the transfer of the
school Principal, Ganga Ram in Kuhadwas
village in Jhunjhunu district. Principal
Ganga Ram had reportedly improved the
academic atmosphere, created more
facilities for students and enhanced the
results during his 13-month tenure. More
than 20 people were injured in the
incident, one of them sustained a bullet
injury in his leg. The police also picked up
several youngsters from the village and
registered criminal cases against 26
persons. A fact-finding team of Rajasthan
unit of the People’s Union for Civil
214
Liberties reportedly found that police
thrashed the demonstrators and resorted to
firing without any provocation. 16
Sajjan Singh Charon from Pali district
of Rajasthan reportedly tried to commit
suicide by setting himself on fire on 5
November 2004 in front of the District
Collectorate in protest against alleged
torture of his son Surender Singh by two
police constables posted at the Bangar
police outpost a few days earlier.
According to eyewitnesses, he shouted
slogans against police and then poured
kerosene oil that he was allegedly carrying
on his body and set himself on fire. He
received 70 percent burns. 17
On the night of 17 November 2004,
Ghevar Ram Bisnoi, a farmer of Rohicha
Kalan village under Shivana tehsil in
Barmer district was brutally beaten up by
the Luni police Station Incharge Bhavarlal
Patel. The Officer-in-Charge woke up
Ghevar Ram Bisnoi when he was sleeping
at his farm to look after his crops and
asked about the whereabouts of one
Pappram, an accused. When Ghevar Ram
declined to give any information about
Papparam, the Officer-in-Charge assaulted
him brutally with his lathi. Ghevar Ram
reportedly had tell tale signs of beating on
his eyes, back and legs. On 18 November
2004, Ghevar Ram alongwith other
villagers reportedly complained to the
Deputy Superintendent of Police but the
DSP did not give him an opportunity of
hearing. 18
On 3 December 2004, more than 40
persons, including former MLA Sohan