PUCL demands inquiry by NHRC on custodial deaths in Jaipur

Jaipur, Sep 29(UNI): People's Union for Civil Liberties(PUCL), Jaipur, has demanded an inquiry by the National Human Rights Commission into the two custodial deaths took place here in the last fortnight.

PUCL president Dhan Singh in a letter to the NHRC alleged that in both the cases the mandatory provisions of a judicial inquiry under Section 176 (1A) of CrPC; guidelines of the Supreme Court in DK Basu case and the directions of the NHRC for conducting post mortem and viedography were flagrantly violated.

The first case involve a Pakistani national, Junaid, 70, who was referred to Central Jail, Jaipur from Ganganagar for psychiatric evaluation. The medcial officer Central Jail here referred him to a local psychiatric centre for diagnosis and treatment. While under going treatment he died on the wee hours on September 11 under mysterious circumstances. It was alleged that following a scuffle he was killed by a fellow inmate admitted in the same ward. The police and the custodians of the psychiartic centre have evidently failed in their duty to protect the life of the inmate. In spite of the directive of the NHRC, a post mortem of the body and videography have not been conducted within the prescribed time.

The second case pertains to the custodial death of Shyamlal Biswas an accused in a murder case who was arrested from Nandiya district in West Bengal on September 22. He was in police remand for seven days and lodged at Ashok Nagar police station in Jaipur.

Shyamlal reportedly found dead in the evening on September 27. The police said he committed suicide. The PUCL alleged that neither post mortem nor videography procedure was followed in this case also . They demanded the intervention of the NHRC in both the cases to bring out the truth.

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