Karnataka - Mysore   

Rs. 10,000 compensation ordered for victim of human rights violation

MYSORE: The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission has directed the Government to pay a compensation of Rs. 10,000 to a victim of police brutality in Sargur in Heggadadevankote taluk of Mysore district.

The commission, which has directed the Chief Secretary to pay the compensation amount, has left to the Government’s discretion whether the amount should be recovered from the salary of the police constable, who is “prima facie guilty of assaulting and abusing the complainant”.

Chairperson of Karnataka Human Rights Commission S.R. Nayak passed the orders on May 16 after the victim lodged a complaint with the commission stating that constable Srikantaswamy of Sargur police station had assaulted and abused him.

According to the complainant, he went to Sargur police station on September 19, 2007 to secure the release of his uncle’s car, which had been seized five days ago after an accident and parked on the station premises. However, he found the police constable allegedly opening the bonnet of the car and trying to remove the battery.

When the complainant questioned the constable about this, the constable allegedly flew into a rage, before verbally and physically assaulting the complainant. “He forcefully dragged me into the police station saying he will frame me in a case. I was beaten even inside the police station,” the complainant said.

“I was booked in a false case stating that I created obstacles in a government servant’s duty and sent to judicial custody. I was released from K.R Nagar sub jail on September 26,” the complainant said.

The complainant submitted a written complaint to the Superintendent of Police, Mysore district, on September 27 against the “police highhandedness”. Though the Deputy Superintendent of Police summoned him to the office of Heggadadevankote Circle Inspector on October 12, 2007 and conducted an inquiry, the complainant said he had not secured justice.

After the complainant moved the State Human Rights Commission on November 11, 2007, the commission directed the Superintendent of Police, Mysore district, to submit a status report with regard to the complaint within three weeks.

The Superintendent of Police, Mysore, in a report sent to the commission on January 4, 2008, said the constable had been transferred out of Sargur police station after an inquiry into the matter recommended disciplinary action against him.

The commission, in its order, noted that the report of the Superintendent of Police had revealed that prima facie Srikantaswamy was guilty of assaulting and abusing the complainant and therefore, the police have booked him.

“The highhanded and brutal action of police constable is undeniably tantamount to violation of human rights of the complainant. Mere transfer of such an employee and placing such an employee under suspension pending inquiry would not do any justice to the complainant,” the commission noted.

“As the police constable has violated the fundamental right/human right of the complainant, it is appropriate that he should be made accountable for his actions, otherwise there will be failure of justice,” the commission noted before directing the Chief Secretary to pay Rs. 10,000 as compensation to the complainant within one month. However, it is made clear that it is open to the Government to recover the sum from the salary of the police constable,” the commission said in its order.

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