CM has assured action in CPM leader's torture, says Karat

Shimla, Aug 31 (UNI) Senior CPM leader and first woman politbureau member, Brinda Karat, today said the Himachal Pradesh Government has assured action against the police officials involved in state party leader's torture in Chamba jail.

''Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had assured he will personally look into the matter after I called on him early today and demanded action against the guilty officials,'' she said at a press conference here.

Ms Karat said the torture of state party leader, Kashmir Singh Thakur, in the jail by police inspector Pratap, ASI Anup Katoch, Constable Victor and driver Surender on August 23 was ''unacceptable'' and the party's strongest protest has been conveyed to the Chief Minister.

Mr Thakur, who was in Chamba district following the murder of three Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU), workers was stripped and tortured by the four police officials on August 23 night, three days after he was arrested under Section 307 of the IPC.

Replying to question, she said though the state government has assured action against the police officials, the party has also decided to raise the issue with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) at Delhi.

''I will be taking relevant papers with me to Delhi and meet the NHRC Chairman personally and lodge a complain against the four police officials for torturing Mr Thakur,'' she said.

Ms Karat said besides the party leader's torture, the police repression on the CITU workers by police at the behest of a construction company executing the Chamera III hydel project in the district was sending a wrong message to the workers and was against the interests of the Congress Government.

She said a two-member CPM delegation, headed by party's leader in the House, Basudev Acharya and CITU General Secretary Tapen Sen, who had accompanied her to the state, were in Chamba district at present.

They were meeting the district administration, the workers and Mr Thakur and trying to assess the situation following the torture of the party leader, she said.

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