11 detainees accuse police of torture, and sodomy

Court directs SSP to look into complaint NASEER A GANAI Srinagar, Oct 29: The Ist Additional District and Sessions Judge today directed the SSP Srinagar to look into a complaint of eleven detainees who have accused police of torture in custody. The persons were arrested on October 27 by Mahraj Gunj Police Station under FIR no 95/09 under section 152, 336, 148. “The Court took serious note of the allegation after the accused persons including four minors stated they were forced to go for sodomy with each other during custody,” their counsel Bashir Siddique told Greater Kashmir. He said the accused persons were students and were appearing in the Matric examination. Bashir said the persons have been booked for stone pelting and were brought to the Court this afternoon.  The written complaint lodged by the accused through their counsel in the case- State versus Asif Ahmad Bhat and Others -says “They have been brutally tortured in the lock up and torture marks are visible on their bodies. “The minors who have been described as accused informed the Court that they were forced to go for sodomy with each other by police. The whole episode was filmed by the police officials with mobile cameras and they were deriving pleasure out of it,” Bashir said in the complaint. The parents of the arrested youth informed the Court that they have paid money for their food despite bringing food for them from their homes. “They informed the Court that the accused were horrified and were not in position to walk and the treatment meted to them reminds them of Abu Gareeb,” Bashir said. The Ist Additional District and Sessions Judge has directed the SSP Srinagar to take appropriate action “under the law.” The Court has forwarded the complaint to the SSP in original. The SDPO Maharaj Gunj, howeve r, described the allegations totally false. “The accused are known stone-pelters. They were on police remand and nothing of that sort has happened,” he said. He said had this happened in police custody, police would have released them instead of taking them to the Court for giving testimony. He said some vested interests were trying to make issue out of nothing.