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Mr. Justice A S Anand
Chairman
National Human Rights Commission
Sardar Patel Bhawan
Parliament Street
New Delhi-110001
Subject: Complaint
against torture and custodial death of a 23-year-old youth,
Ramesh in Doddaballapur town police station in Bangalore Rural
District, Karnataka in the afternoon of 10 January 2003.
Dear Justice Anand,
I am writing to
complain against the custodial death of a 23-year-old youth,
Ramesh in Doddaballapur town police station in Bangalore Rural
District, Karnataka in the afternoon of 10 January 2003.
Ramesh was taken
into custody by Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), Mr. Thammaiah
and the police constable Mr. Nagaraj at around 12.30 p.m.
in connection with the alleged kidnapping of a woman. Within
half an hour, he was taken to the Government Hospital, and
the doctors declared that he was "brought dead".
Ramesh was the sole breadwinner of the family and is survived
by his wife, Radha and a two-year old daughter, Indu.
The police claimed
that Ramesh swallowed some powder kept in his pocket when
he was being questioned about the whereabouts of the woman
who was allegedly kidnapped by him. Soon, he collapsed, and
was taken to hospital.
This is nothing
but an attempt to hush up the torture and custodial death
of Ramesh.
I shall be grateful
if the NHRC could kindly make an urgent intervention and take
the following measures:
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Direct the State government of Karnataka to submit the post
mortem report to the NHRC that should have been conducted
in full conformity with the guidelines provided by the National
Human Rights Commission;
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Direct the State government of Kartanaka to suspend Assistant
Sub-Inspector (ASI), Mr. Thammaiah and the police constable
Mr. Nagaraj and register murder cases against them;
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Direct the State government of Kartanaka to order a judicial
inquiry into the custodial death of Mr Ramesh;
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Direct the State government of Karnataka to pay interim compensation
of Rs 500,000 (five lakhs) to the victim's wife and that the
same be recovered from the guilty police personnel; and
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Take any other measures that the NHRC deems fit.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely
Suhas Chakma
Director
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