Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 12 Dec: A complaint has been lodged with the Changlang SP and the National Human Rights Commission against officers of the Diyun police station in Changlang district for alleged illegal detention and custodial torture of one Joydhan Chakma and one Bimal Chakma.
As per the complaint, the Diyun police station officer-in-charge (OC), Inspector PK Kalita issued a police summons (u/s 160 CrPC, dated 25 November, 2020) to the duo, with a direction to appear before him on 28 November, in connection with a gambling case, which the complainants said they had no knowledge of.
The complainants said they appeared at the police station on the date specified by the OC. They were allegedly detained at the Diyun police station on their arrival and put behind bars for three nights and two days (28 to 30 November) without informing them of the grounds for arrest, “in blatant disregard of Section 50 CrPC,” the complaint read.
“The provisions of Section 3 of the Arunachal Pradesh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2012, prescribe punishment of two months. The Diyun OC ought to have released us on bail, being the offence is bailable as per Schedule-II of CrPC,” they said, and claimed that they had no knowledge about any gambling that took place in their area and they did not allow the use of their place for the purpose of gambling.
Asserting that the police misused their powers under Section 160 CrPC, the duo claimed that the Diyun OC, in connivance with SI RK Yein, detained the duo illegally and put them behind bars without following due process of law.
“They have subjected us to custodial torture by means of third-degree while we were detained. They made us lie down on our stomach and beat us on our feet. Meanwhile, Inspector Kalita and SI Yein ordered the sentries to do so to obviate any sign of injury or marks on our body. However, marks can be seen on our bottoms,” the complainants said.
To support their claim, the complainants provided photographic evidence to this daily.
The complainants also claimed that “Inspector Kalita, in connivance with SI Yein, have not even registered the case for which we were arrested,” and instead “after three nights and two days, they took a sum of Rs 35,000 each from our guardians to set us free.”
As per a summons letter dated 2 December, SI Yein had allegedly directed seven more persons to appear before him.
The complainants, along with villagers met with the Changlang SP on 7 and 10 December and sought necessary action against Inspector Kalita and SI Yein, as warranted under the law.
They also appealed for a departmental inquiry against the police officers for “the alleged custodial torture; for making arrests without following due process of law and for corruption.”
While the Changlang SP was not reachable as he has left for Vijoynagar, sources informed that both the officers in question have been transferred to Changlang headquarters and a new officer has taken charge of the Diyun police station.