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

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Delhi
There were numerous allegations of
human rights violations in Tihar jail in
2004.
On 12 January 2004, the All India
Defence Committee on S.A.R. Geelani in a
complaint to the National Human Rights
Commission alleged that the Kashmiri
Muslim inmates inside Tihar Jail were
beaten up on the slightest pretext, tortured
by pushing poles up the anuses, being forced
to drink urine and deprived of drinking
water for days together by the jail officials. 48
On 19 April 2004, a 24-year-old
undertrial in Tihar Jail, Vijay Kumar
allegedly committed suicide inside the jail
dispensary with the help of a towel. He
was facing trial on charges of dowry death
of his wife on 12 April 2004. A suicide
note that has been allegedly recovered
from the victim reportedly claimed that he
didn’t kill his wife and that he was
committing suicide, as he was unable to
bear the pain of her death. A magisterial
inquiry was ordered into the incident. 49
On 3 July 2004, 24-year-old Zohra, an
Afghan national, who had been under
going a term of 10 years imprisonment and
lodged at Jail No.6 of Tihar Central Jail
died in Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital.
The other inmates of the jail alleged that her
death was caused by beating up by a jail
matron. Around 10 days before her death an
argument broke out between her and a jail
matron who allegedly punched and kicked
Zohra in the stomach. Zohra reportedly
sustained internal injuries and her condition
deteriorated leading to her death. 50
Hundreds of women prisoners in Jail no.6
60
rioted on 4 July 2004. 51 The Delhi
government reportedly ordered the
exhuming of the body of Zohra following
allegations that sexual assaults by Anjum
Zamrooda Habib, a POTA detenue, Shaila,
a Pakistan national, Siddika, Tahira, Anjali
and one more caused her death. 52
On 2 July 2004, Tanu Lal, son of
Umrao Singh and an undertrial, was
declared brought dead at Deen Dayal
Upadhyaya Hospital at around 5.30 pm.
The post mortem conducted on 7 July
2004 by a board of three doctors appointed
by the Delhi administration reportedly
found injuries on Lal’s back and
haematoma (blood collection) in the chest.
The cause of his death was stated as
“asphyxia/respiratory failure as a result of
severe pulmonary disease precipitated by
assault”. The report stated that all injuries
were ante-mortem in nature and were
consistent with being kicked by someone.
Tanu Lal had been allegedly bashed up by
the jail staff on 1 July 2004 and his
condition deteriorated at night, leading to
his death the next day. 53
On the evening of 9 September 2004,
an inmate of Tihar jail, Omprakash lodged
at jail number 4, allegedly committed
suicide by hanging himself from an iron
grill with a bag belt. Om Prakash had been
admitted to the jail on 13 November 2003
on charges of dacoity. 54
VII. Attacks on human rights
defenders
Human rights defenders working on
the Right to Information Act and social