Six months after a tribal youth was allegedly flogged and tortured by police on wrong suspicion of being Maoist sympathiser in Jharkhand’s Latehar district, the wait for lodging an FIR against guilty cops still continues.
This despite the case drawing attention of Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren who had ordered state police to probe and take stern action on the police officials involved in the torture in February and a Latehar district court order on August 22 directing SC/ST police station for investigation and an FIR.
The court of first additional session Judge Latehar Sanjeev Kumar Das in its order on August 22 directed the record office of the court to send the copy of the victim Anil Kumar Singh’s “complaint under Section 156(3) of CrPC to Latehar SC/ST police station for investigation and institution of an FIR”.
However, the victim’s neighbour and social activist Lal Mohan Singh Khirwar, a member of the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (a coalition of rights outfit), who is helping the victim to get justice said that ST/SC police station is yet to lodge an FIR.
“It has been over eight days since the court’s order and the SC/ST police station is yet to lodge an FIR. We will continue our fight till an FIR is registered and the guilty policemen are punished,” said Lal Mohan Singh Khirwar.
Latehar SC/ST police station officer-in-charge, Phaguni Paswan claimed ignorance about any court’s order.
“We are yet to receive any court order on that case. As soon as we get the court’s order we will institute an FIR,” said Paswan. Incidentally, Latehar district court and the SC/ST police station are barely two kilometres away.
Latehar SP Anjani Anjan assured of compliance of court’s order. “They should have approached me. However, since they have approached court we will certainly abide by the court’s order,” said Anjan.
Anil Kumar Singh, 42, had in February this year alleged that he was picked up by Garu police station official on February 23 midnight and accused of supporting Maoists. After being allegedly beaten and tortured in the police station he was let off the next morning (February 24) and told that he was picked up by mistake.
The medical report of Anil provided by Sadar Hospital in Latehar indicated injuries in both buttocks and deep abrasion on hip and buttocks. The incident had prompted Hemant to direct state police to conduct a probe into the incident and initiate action against the errant cops.
Latehar SP Anjan acting on a probe report submitted by then SDPO Mahuadand Rajesh Kujur had sent the accused Garu police station officer-in-charge Ranjit Kumar Yadav to police barrack.
Significantly, Anil a native of Kuku village under Ganeshpur panchayat in Garu block of Latehar had gone to Chipadohar police station (which covers his village) on March 2 to lodge an FIR against Garu police station officials. But he alleged that the Chipadohar police station OC refused to register his complaint and instead asked him to register the case at the police station where the incident took place.
“Section 177, 178 and 179 of CrPC talks about jurisdiction in case of criminal trial and investigation. It makes it clear that the place where the offence has occurred or the place where it has occurred partly and partly in other such place, the every such place shall have the jurisdiction for the said offence. Then under Section 154 of CrPC a police officer is bound to register an FIR when a cognisable offence is brought to its notice,” said Jharkhand High Court advocate Shailesh Poddar.
