NEW DELHI : There are enough provisions in the law and police manual of every state so that appropriate actions are taken against erring police officials whenever there are custodial deaths and allegations of police tortures, the Lok Sabha was told today.
Stating this, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju informed the House during Question Hour that the reports of alleged custodial deaths were “somehow quite more than other states” in Maharashtra.
The Government also said during 2013, there were 35 custodial deaths reported from Maharashtra — followed by 21 in 2014 and 19 in 2015.
Responding to supplementary questions from Sadashiv Lokhande (Shiv Sena) and others, the Minister said the Home Ministry keeps proper monitoring of the matters and there were provisions under the law as also according to guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court and National Human Rights Commission that there can be judicial inquiry into such incidents.
He further said the Supreme Court has also directed all the states to install CCTV cameras in all prisons and also in police stations wherever necessary within a time-frame.
Ramesh Bais of BJP wondered how there was no action against the cops in last three years despite the fact that there have been many custodial deaths.
Another BJP member Satyapal Singh said often the figures given out by the Government as ‘custodial deaths’ were not purely due to police torture as deaths of prisoners or those in custody due to illness and other factors were also given out as ‘custodial deaths’.
Mr Singh’s participation in the debate triggered lighter moments at times as the Baghpat Member from UP has been a former Mumbai Police Commissioner.
“The records of Mumbai police and Maharashtra police in terms of performance in their duties are best in the country,” he said amid several Members including from the Treasury Bench asking him whether he was trying to defend the police force.
When Mr Singh was asking supplementary question, at one point of time Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, “We should try to bring out the record of your tenure (as police commissioner)”.
The Minister also informed that there were even provisions of “monetary relief” for the victims of police torture who got injured.
Mr Satyapal Singh wanted to know whether there can be financial compensation if there are “some errors committed by police” in making wrong arrests.
To a question from Mr Lokhande, the Government said specific information in respect of custodial deaths of children below 14 years of age was not available with the National Crime Records Bureau.
The official figures also said that in Gujarat — there were 13 custodial deaths in 2013, 8 in 2014 and 9 in 2015. However, put together between three years 2013, 2014 and 2015, there have been no conviction of any erring police personnel across the country even as in several state cases were registered. (AGENCIES)
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