SHIMLA: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Committee member and secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Kashmir Singh Thakur, is being tortured in police custody, alleged State CPI (M) leaders here on Thursday.

At a press conference addressed by four State Committee members, the party demanded immediate removal of the Chamba district Superintendent of Police, Upender Thakur, at whose behest Dr. Thakur was allegedly framed in a false case and then tortured.

Medical examination of Dr. Thakur revealed severe injuries on his back, hip bones and torso. He was produced before the Court in Chamba on Thursday, said the party.

The CPI (M)'s legal cell here has filed a private complaint against four police officers, including Inspector Pratap Singh, ASI Anup Katoach, Constable Victor and their drive Surender, all of whom allegedly tortured the CITU leader. The party has demanded their immediate suspension. A Communist leader, Karam Chand, was earlier killed in custody by Inspector Pratap Singh, the CPI (M) alleged.

Dr. Thakur was arrested under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code. The workers at the Chemera III hydel project in Chamba were fighting for a long time for minimum wages and tunnel allowance under his leadership, said the CPI (M).

The party will observe a day of protest throughout the State against the illegal arrest and torture of Dr. Thakur on Friday.

The party has also demanded a CBI inquiry into the murder of three CITU leaders of the Chemera project last month. Party leaders said they met the Chief Minister and the Director-General of Police, demanding removal or transfer of the SP, but to no avail. The SP is himself a partner in the crime and has stakes in the controversial Hindustan Construction Company, whose goons killed the workers, they alleged. The sole eyewitness in the case, Pramod Kumar, is also being tortured by the police, they said. "We have no expectations from the partisan State police", they added.

The CPI (M) said the accused in the murder case were given bail, while people who worked for workers' rights were being tortured.Meanwhile, the entire Opposition staged a walkout on Thursday in the State Assembly in protest against the deteriorating law and order situation. The Chief Minister in his reply said the murder of CITU leaders in Chamba was being investigated.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail