The Hindu : New Delhi News : Boy stripped, thrashed by cop

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 09, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Boy stripped, thrashed by cop

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 8. A 12-year-old boy was allegedly stripped and beaten by a jawan of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Nizamuddin railway station on September 4. A case has been registered at Nizamuddin railway police station in this connection.

According to the police, the case was registered on Tuesday following complaint from a non-government organisation, Butterflies, which works for street children.

As per the complaint, Sabir, son of Abdul, a ragpicker was loitering around Nizamuddin railway station on the night of September 4. When he was standing on platform No. 4, a RPF constable, nicknamed "Cobra", picked him up. He took Sabir to a room near the parcel office and forced him to strip. He then beat him up badly, threw his clothes on railway track nearby and left the place.

Sabir, who used to live at the Bhogal centre of Butterflies, reached the centre the next morning, which was a Sunday, and reported the matter to one Alam.

However, the person in charge was on leave and hence the incident could not be brought to the notice of the authorities concerned.

On Monday, the in charge, Ashok, came to the centre and came to know about the incident. He approached the Railway Protection Force officials with the complaint. However, as per the complaint, the officials did not pay heed.

Finally, on Tuesday, Ashok approached the Delhi railway police. Sabir was taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences where a medico-legal case was registered. Subsequently, a case of causing hurt and wrongful restraint was registered. No arrests have been made. The police said they were in the process of identifying the accused.

In the past four months, RPF personnel have been accused of highhanded behaviour in at least four cases. On May 11, they beat up a rickshaw puller Nandan, who later succumbed to his injuries, for allegedly using the toilet unauthorisedly at Old Delhi railway station. They were also accused in a gang-rape case reported from Daya Basti in North-West Delhi. A day before Independence Day, the RPF personnel were involved in a brawl with roadside vendors at Shahdara railway station.

While the RPF had maintained that they were only trying to clear the area in view of the security preparations, it was alleged that they had beaten up vendors who had put up their stalls outside the railway station premises. They were also reportedly involved in a brawl in Connaught Place.

Man, son bashed up

The 25-year-old son of the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Defence Colony police station allegedly beat up a 65-year-old man and his son over a trivial issue at Jamroodpur in South Delhi today.

According to the police, it all happened when Bharat Verma, son of the SHO, Harcharan Verma, was driving through Jamroodpur in his Mitsubishi Lancer this morning. He was apparently forced to stop as some auto-spares were lying on the road outside the shop of Arjun Walia, and his father, Amrit Walia. Bharat alighted from the vehicle and there was a heated exchange of words with the Walias.

It is alleged that Bharat, who owns a factory at Okhla, slapped Mr. Walia and then allegedly beat up Arjun with a stick.

Arjun was later taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences with minor injuries.

It is learnt that local residents staged a protest outside Greater Kailash police station this afternoon demanding stringent action against the culprit.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Delhi), Pravir Ranjan, said the police were contemplating legal action against the accused.

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