SC Commission notices to Admn on custodial death of dalit

     Raipur, September 28, 2016: National Commission for Scheduled Castes has taken cognizance of the custodial death of a Dalit youth in Janjgir-Champa district of Chhattisgarh for demanding restoration of electricity in his locality.

     The SC Commission has issued notices to the Chhattisgarh administration asking them for personal appearance along with all relevant documents relating to the custodial death of the youth.

     “Dr P L Punia, Chairman of the Commission, has desired to hold discussion with you in this case on October 11, 2016 at 10.45 AM… at the headquarters of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, New Delhi,” the notice from the SC Commission said.

     Asking both the Collector and the Superintendent of Police of the Janjgir-Champa district to remain present along with all relevant documents and the action taken report, the Commission said it wanted to investigate the matter, according to the letter.

     The Scheduled Castes Commission has issued notices after taking cognizance of the letter written by the Leader of Opposition in Chhattisgarh Assembly T S Singhdeo on the matter after a Dalit youth was on September 17, last allegedly killed in police custody in Janjgir-Champa district for demanding restoration of electricity in his locality.

      Accusing the Raman Government as anti-dalit and anti-tribal, the main opposition Congress petitioned various constitutional bodies, including the SC Commission and the NHRC, urging them to personally probe the incident.

     Leader of Opposition T S Singhdeo said “there has been many fold increase in atrocities against dalit and tribals in Chhattisgarh. And it becomes serious when police and administration are found involved in such incidents.”

     Talking about the Dalit youth, Singhdeo said there was no electricity in Sagarpara area of Mulmula police station in Janjgir-Champa district for a week. When Satish Kumar Norge, a dalit, went to the electricity office and demanded restoration of power in his locality, on complaint of the electricity officials, he was arrested by the local police and assaulted severely in the police station, because of which he died on September 17 last, he added.

     “Police did not stop there and when Satish started vomiting blood due to assault, his ten year old son, who was nearby, had been asked by local police to sweep the floor to remove the blood vomit,” he alleged.

     Two tribal girls, Meena Khalko of Chando Police station of Balrampur district and Madkam Hidme of Gompad village of Sukma district were earlier killed in police custody, but no visible action had been taken against the accused in both the cases, he stated.

     Meanwhile, four policemen, Sub Inspector Jitendra Singh Rajput, Constables Sunil Dhruv and Dilharan Miri and Home guard Rajesh Kumar of Mulmula police station, have been arrested under section 302/34 and Sections under Scheduled caste atrocities act and sent to judicial custody after their suspension for their alleged involvement in the custodial death case.

     Principal Secretary Home BVR Subrahmanyam has said retired High Court Judge Justice Inder Singh Uboweja will probe the incident and in three months time the Judicial Commission would submit its report.

     The deceased family would also be given an additional compensation of Rs 5 lakh as announced by the Chief Minister besides Rs 1 lakh aid, which was announced earlier, Subrahmanyam said adding the family has already been provided Rs 25,000 as immediate help.

     “To sustain her family, wife of the deceased, Usha would be provided a government job and the state government will also bear the expenses of the study of his both children and also they will be put in hostel with government expenses,” the Home Secretary said.

     The state government has also transferred all the employees of Nariyara Electricity Sub Station since the dalit youth was allegedly beaten in the electricity office also.

     To ascertain the cause of death, Pamgarh first class judicial magistrate Satish Xaxa would also conduct a probe under the Section 176 (1) of the CRPC, Director General of Police A N Upadhyaya has also said.