40-year-old man found hanging inside police lock-up in Delhi, kin allege custodial torture
New Delhi: A 40-year-old man arrested on charges of raping a minor girl was allegedly found hanging with a bedsheet inside the lock-up of Samaypur Badli police station following which a constable has been suspended, police said on Sunday.
Constable Yashveer, who was posted in sentry duty in Samaypur Badli police station where the man was found hanging, has been placed on suspension for the negligence, police said.
The family members of the deceased alleged that police thrashed him inside the lock-up and also forced him to consume liquor. Police, however, refuted the allegations.
According to police, the matter came to notice on Saturday, when a complaint was received against Dharmendra at Swaroop Nagar police station alleging him of entering a neighbour's house and raping a 14-year-old girl who was alone at her house while her mother, a labourer, was out for work.
With the minor girl's father having passed away, her mother is the only earning member of their family.
Based on her complaint, a case under Section 376 (punishment for rape), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered.
The accused was arrested after he was found hiding at the house of his relative in Samaypur Badli area, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Gaurav Sharma said.
After being arrested in connection with the rape case, the accused was lodged in a lock-up of Samaypur Badli police station since there is no lock-up in Swaroop Nagar police station, he claimed.
On Sunday, the accused hanged himself with a bedsheet tied around the bars of the lock-up gate. He was immediately rushed to Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital but was declared brought dead by the doctors, the officer said.
The Metropolitan Magistrate has been informed regarding the incident and proceedings are being carried out as per law. CCTV footage has also been preserved to facilitate the enquiry, the DCP said.
The police said the accused was previously convicted in a case of sodomy registered at Alipur police station, wherein he entered the house of a 10 year-old boy and forcefully committed sodomy on him.
He had also been convicted in a case of murder-cum-robbery registered at Khajuri Khas police station.
The deceased man's lawyer Rakesh Kaushik said Dharmendra was in jail for the last five-six years in connection with a case of murder but was out on parole in the last five months.
He said, "The man was brought to Swaroop Nagar police station by police personnel for questioning but around 11.30 pm, his relatives got a call asking them to visit Dharmendra at the police station. The family has alleged that the victim was tortured and beaten up inside the lock-up and was also made to consume alcohol."
But on Sunday morning, his family was informed that he died by suicide inside the lock-up at Samaypur Badli police station, the lawyer said.
Neeraj, one of Dharmendra's nephew, accused the police of thrashing his uncle inside the lock-up and also forcing him to consume liquor.
He said, "My uncle had come out on parole a few months back. Around 6.30 pm, an ASI from Swaroop Nagar police station arrived at our home and enquired about my uncle. Later, we were informed by police that our uncle was in Swaroop Nagar police station.
"Yet, when we reached there, we saw he was beaten up and even forced to consume liquor. But today morning, we were informed that he committed suicide in Samaypur Baldi police station."
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
