In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested 6 Jammu and Kashmir police personnel, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) and an inspector, in connection with the alleged brutal custodial torture of a fellow constable. The arrests come as a direct consequence of the Supreme Court’s forceful intervention last month, which had directed the federal agency to take over the investigation and register an FIR.
The accused officers have been instructed to surrender their weapons and official government materials to their respective District Police Lines, while a Special Police Officer (SPO) involved in the incident has been formally disengaged and removed from the rolls.The Supreme Court’s July 21 order had painted a harrowing picture of the torture inflicted upon the constable while in the custody of his colleagues, describing it as “brutal and inhuman.” The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, highlighted the “complete mutilation of his genitalia” and the use of “pepper/chilly powder and electric shocks” on the same, stating that the facts were “deeply shocking to the conscience of this court.” The court had strongly condemned the “egregious” violation of the constable’s fundamental right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution, noting that he suffered “life-debilitating injuries” at the hands of “fellow state actors.”
Following its scathing observations, the top court had not only ordered the CBI probe but had also directed the Jammu and Kashmir administration to pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the victim for the immense physical and psychological trauma endured. The swift action by the CBI, culminating in the arrests, marks a critical step toward accountability in a case that has exposed severe misconduct within the police force. Further details of the investigation and the charges to be filed are awaited as the probe continues. (Source : kashmir Observer)
