NHRC summons Palakkad magistrate in police custody case

New Delhi, July 10 (ANI): The National Human Rights Commission has issued conditional summons for the personal appearance of District Magistrate, Palakkad on August 20 in connection with non-compliance of its recommendations seeking various reports in a case of death in police custody in the district.

Sambath, 30, was arrested by the police in Town North on March 29 after he was found to be in possession of ornaments worn by Sheela, who was murdered. A case was registered. He complained of uneasiness and chest pain, and collapsed in the lockup.

Sambath was taken to the Palakkad District Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

The NHRC registered a case in the matter on receiving an intimation on April 1 about the incident from the Superintendent of Police, Palakkad.

Thereafter, it asked the district magistrate to send various reports including inquest, postmortem and the magisterial inquiry reports vide letter dated April 28.

The NHRC received a letter dated May 7 from a board of doctors.

Histopathological findings do not indicate any arterial or myocardial pathology.

Lungs showed interstitial haemorrhage, skin shows features suggestive of burns, subcutaneous haemorrhage, based on the gross morphological findings noted at autopsy and microscopic findings. They ubmitted additional opinion holding heart as normal and an electric burn mark on the body of the deceased.

On July 6, the NHRC said that the concerned district magistrate had not delivered all the required reports in the matter, and therefore, issued conditional summons for his appearance.

It said that in case the reports were received on or before August 13, the district magistrate need not appear before it. (ANI)