Meghalaya: Probe ordered into allegations of police brutality in SWGH

TURA | AUG 13, 2020:

The South West Garo Hills (SWGH) Superintendent of Police (SP), Rithuraj Ravi S has ordered an inquiry after allegations of police brutality surfaced.

A person was allegedly brutally assaulted by the police for no apparent fault other than being an elder brother of an accused in a crime.

According to the SP, after receiving information about a minor being married to an of age man, according to Muslim customs, the SWGH Child Welfare Committee filed a case against the accused.

The case was registered at the Ampati Police Station on Aug 9.

A case of rape was then registered against the accused after the marriage was allegedly consummated the day after the marriage and the accused has been booked under POCSO.

However, the accused 'husband' has been on the run since the case was filed.

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"On Aug 10 at about 1 am, policemen from the Garodoba outpost and Zikzak patrol post raided the house of the accused. However, on not finding the accused in the house, they allegedly took the elder brother instead, when he was not even party to the case," said one of the family members.

Family members added that after the brother of the accused was taken to the police station, he was allegedly badly beaten up, leaving his entire backside in different hues of black and blue.

They further alleged that the elder brother was kept in the police lock-up from 1 am on Aug 10 to 2 pm, illegally, where the in-charge of the Garodoba outpost brutally thrashed him.

After getting the elder brother released from custody, the family went to the Mahendraganj CHC where a medical report was taken by them to prove that the assault was done in the police station itself.

Meanwhile, upon being informed on the matter, the SP denied the allegations of police brutality while adding that an inquiry into the matter would be set up.

"This is a POCSO related case and investigation into the matter is currently on. However, the accusations are false and I have ordered an inquiry into the matter," said the SP.

"The family is in trauma after what happened. We cannot understand why police had to brutalize someone who is not even an accused," said a close relative.

The family has also added that it was going to raise the matter with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as the brutality on an innocent was beyond their understanding.