Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has directed state police to probe and take stern action over alleged police torture on a tribal youth in Latehar district following complaint by rights body Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha.
Avinash Chanchal, a member of the National Alliance of People’s Movement, which is part of the Mahasabha (a coalition of rights outfits) had tagged to the chief minister twitter handle on Sunday evening with the purported photo of 42-year-old tribal man Anil Singh showing his injuries and alleged that he had been beaten with 300-400 lathi blows by the police for helping Maoists in the Garu area of Latehar district, some 140 km from capital Ranchi.
The chief minister tagged the tweet to the Jharkhand police directing a probe into the allegation and informing after taking strong action against the accused police personnel.
Mahasabha twitter handle also alleged that the tribal farmer, “Anil Singh a native of Kuku village under Ganeshpur panchayat under Garu block of Latehar district was picked up by Garu thana official on February 23 midnight and accused of supporting Maoists.”
The Mahasabha tweet also alleged, “He was severely beaten by police — “300-400 lathi blows”. He was let off the next morning (February 24) and told that he was picked up by mistake. Garu thana prabhari beat him severely in his chamber in the night and then apologised in the morning. Anil and a couple of other villagers were picked up at midnight and accused of helping Maoists. He and another person were severely beaten till he lost consciousness.”
Latehar SP Anjani Anjan said a probe team led by SDPO Mahuadand Rajesh Kujur has been asked to investigate the police torture incident and submit a report at the earliest.
The right outfit member Siraj Dutta while speaking to The Telegraph recalled the incident of Brahmadev Singh also of the same block who was allegedly killed by security forces.
“The innocent Adivasi Brahmadev Singh of the same block was killed by security forces a few months ago. He was shot dead during a Naxal search operation. Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha demands that an FIR be immediately lodged against the thana prabhari and adequate compensation be immediately paid to Anil. We also reiterate our demand that people should not be harassed by security forces under the guise of anti-Naxal operations,” said Dutta.
Brahmadev was killed at the Piri village under Garu block of Jharkhand’s Latehar district on June 12 last year, in what police claimed was an incident of “crossfire”. Later, the villagers filed a complaint at the Garu police station against the security personnel, calling it a case of unilateral firing by the police.
The charges are being probed by state CID and Jharkhand High Court had in January directed the state government to file a counter affidavit in connection with the alleged killing of a Brahmadev.
