The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of the complaint of a tribal man who was allegedly tortured in police custody on the suspicion of being a Maoist supporter and released the next day in Jharkhand’s Latehar district.

The NHRC has in a letter on April 1 asked Latehar superintendent of police Anjani Anjan to submit an action -taken report within four weeks of the receipt of the letter on the allegations “of illegal detention of named tribal person (Anil Kumar Singh) for two days and in human third degree torture to the victim in the police custody”.

A copy of the NHRC letter is with The Telegraph.

The letter also states that Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, the complainant, has alleged that the victim was forced to sign on blank papers before being released.

The Mahasabha, an outfit of right activists, had in March requested the NHRC’s intervention in the case and sought departmental action against the accused police officers and compensation to the victim.

“The authorities concerned shall also intimate the Commission if any notice, order etc has been received by him/them in the instant matter from the State Human Rights Commission. If yes, a copy of such order be also sent to the Commission within four weeks.

“Let a copy of the complaint be also transmitted to the secretary of the concerned State Human Rights Commission, calling upon to inform this Commission the date of cognisance, if any, taken at their end in the instant matter within four weeks,” the NHRC directive states.

Anil, 42, frustrated at the police’s refusal to register an FIR on his torture complaint even after a month of the incident had lodged a complaint case in the court of additional district judge Manoj Kumar in Latehar on March 25.

The case had also caught the attention of chief minister Hemant Soren who had in a tweet ordered the state police to take immediate cognisance of the matter and strictest possible action against the culprits.

Anil’s complaint case pleaded direction to the SC/ST police station in Latehar to lodge an FIR and initiate proper investigation into the incident.

Anil, a native of Kuku village under Ganeshpur panchayat in Latehar’s Garu block, had gone to Chhipadohar police station (which covers his village) on March 2 to lodge an FIR against then Garu thana OC Ranjit Kumar Yadav.

However, the thana refused to register an FIR.

Anil had alleged that Yadav along with other two cops had beaten him with lathi and poured petrol down his anus on the night of February 23 on the suspicion of being a Maoist supporter.

“Next day, the police forced me to give them my blood-soiled trouser and underwear and asked me not to complain about it and released me claiming that they had picked me up by mistake,” Anil alleged.

RTI activist Lal Mohan Singh said Anil was the sole breadwinner for his family comprising wife Manita Devi and three minor children.

“He has not been able to sit due to pain and is barely able to walk. Since that fateful day, he has not been able to work in the field. There is immense pain in the lower portion of his body. It is unfortunate that the police have failed to lodge an FIR,” Singh added.