The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Assam government to pay ₹25,000 to a boy who was assaulted inside a police station in Morigaon district six months ago, officials said on Thursday.
NHRC Deputy Registrar (Law) Indrajeet Kumar in a letter to Assam Chief Secretary Paban Kumar Borthakur on Wednesday asked the state government to start prosecution proceedings against the accused police officer and pay the compensation to the 13-year-old within four weeks, he said.
An Assistant Sub-Inspector of police of Lahorijan police station, Upen Bordoloi caught the boy when he was trying to take the case property from a seized vehicle parked inside the police station on March 9 this year.
A video surfaced later on social media in which the officer was seen beating up the minor boy repeatedly with a stick inside the police station.
The NHRC passed the directive following a complaint filed by Monojit Singha, a resident of Guwahati.
The NHRC order said it has taken serious note of the incident as this kind of human rights violation caused to a minor person by a police officer indicates the sorry state of affairs.
The report submitted by State police authorities admits and acknowledges the occurrence of the incident wherein the public servant has been found guilty, it said.
A show cause notice under Section 18 of the Protection of Human Rights Act was issued to the Chief Secretary calling upon him as to why the interim relief of monetary compensation amounting to ₹25,000 shall not be recommended by the Commission to be paid to the victim in the present case.
“In response to the show cause notice issued by the Commission on July 22, no response has been received so far. Therefore, it appears that the authority concerned has nothing to say in respect of the payment of compensation to the victim of the present case. Hence, a recommendation is made for payment of Rs 25,000 to the victim child by the Assam government through its chief secretary ,” the order stated.
The Chief Secretary had failed to reply to the show cause notice issued by NHRC in the case on July 22.
The rights body also directed the Chief Secretary to ensure disbursement of the compensation amount in four weeks and forward the compliance report along with the proof of payment of the compensation amount to the Commission by October 22.
Morigaon Superintendent of Police, Aparna N. in her report submitted to NHRC said that a case under sections of the Juvenile Justice Act was registered at Laharighat police station and after investigation, a charge sheet was filed against Bordoloi on May 25.
“The ASI had been placed under suspension for indiscipline, gross misconduct and dereliction of government duty. Counselling sessions by trained mental health counsellors have been arranged for the minor boy to ensure that there was no mental trauma post the incident,” the report added.
