Guwahati, Aug 29 (PTI) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action taken report (ATR) from Assam’s Sivasagar district police over the custodial death of a person from Nagaland, an official said on Monday.
The NHRC sent the notice for the ATR to Sivasagar superintendent of police on Friday and gave four weeks’ time for the response, the official said.
The NHRC notice followed the filing of a complaint to it by Indigenous Lawyers Association of India, a non-governmental organisation, in New Delhi on August 25 on the death of E Henveih Phom, the Nagaland resident, due to alleged torture in custody at Geleky Police Station of Sivasagar district few days ago, Tejang Chakma, the programme coordinator of ILAI, said.
According to the complaint filed by the ILAI, Phom was arrested along with a woman on August 16 by Assam Police while traveling to Geleky.
The 35-year-old resident of Anaki-C village in Nagaland’s Mokokchung district was sent to judicial custody after his arrest. He died in “suspicious circumstances” five days later, the complaint said.
The ILAI said in the complaint that Phom’s family members have alleged that the deceased was subjected to torture in police custody at Gelekey police station, which led to his death.
The family had also claimed that he was physically fit and sound at the time of his arrest.