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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Faridabad police custody abuse: Haryana told to pay ₹50k to victim after 4 years
Four years after a differently-abled man was stripped, photographed, and filmed in a semi-naked state while in police custody, the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has ruled that the state government must pay ₹50,000 as compensation for the severe violation of his human rights. The commission highlighted that the Haryana home department failed to respond to the show cause notice issued against the police officials involved. (HT File) The man, a Chartered Accountant (CA), was subjected to public humiliation and mistreatment by police officials in Faridabad. The incident occurred on May 24, 2021, after the man was arrested in connection with a matrimonial dispute filed by his wife. She had lodged a criminal case against him under Sections 406 and 498-A of the IPC, alleging harassment and dowry-related offenses. Later, the man filed a divorce petition, which was later withdrawn during conciliation proceedings. However, his wife subsequently registered another FIR in June 2021, accusing him of stalking and criminal intimidation. In its order on July 16, the full bench of the HHRC, comprising chairperson justice Lalit Batra (retd) and members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, said that two police officials, an assistant sub-inspector and a constable rank official, had compelled the man to undress in a public area of the police premises, despite his requests to be allowed privacy. 'The man described the experience as 'akin to a living death,' subjected to severe humiliation in full public view,' reads the order. According to HHRC, the action of the police officials involved — ASI Jagwati and constable Rakesh Kumar — amounted to a blatant violation of the man's right to dignity and privacy, both protected under human rights laws. The commission found that the police had no legitimate reason to force the man to undress and strip him of his clothing in front of others. Such an act, without legal or medical justification, directly contravenes established custodial guidelines. The commission also expressed concern over the unauthorised videography and photography of the man in a semi-nude condition by his brother-in-law who later circulated them on social media, further exacerbating the violation of his dignity and privacy. 'This act, carried out in the presence of others and without lawful necessity or judicial sanction, is a direct affront to the complainant's right to dignity and privacy,' the HHRC's order states. The commission's findings, backed by an internal investigation, indicated that the police officials failed to discharge their duties properly. It also noted that the man, being an educated and professional individual, would not have voluntarily undressed in such a public setting. The HHRC pointed out that the incident occurred under clear duress, highlighting the negligence and misconduct of the police officials. In its final ruling, the commission ordered the Haryana home department to compensate the victim with ₹50,000, acknowledging the violation of his rights and the lasting emotional trauma caused by the incident. However, the commission clarified that this compensation is not meant to represent the full extent of the harm suffered by the man but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of the severe breach of his dignity. The commission also highlighted that the Haryana home department failed to respond to the show cause notice issued against the police officials involved, further questioning the state's commitment to addressing custodial misconduct.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Human rights panel directs Haryana to pay man ₹50K
Four years after a physically disabled man was stripped and videographed while in Faridabad police custody in a case of matrimonial dispute, the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has taken strong exception and directed the state home department to pay ₹50,000 as compensation to the man for violation of right to life. The fine is to be recovered from the guilty police officials, officials said. (FILE) In its order on July 16, the full bench of HHRC, comprising chairperson justice Lalit Batra (retd) and members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, said an impartial inquiry conducted by the commission's investigation wing confirmed that two police officials, an assistant sub-inspector and a constable rank official, had compelled the man, a chartered accountant, to undress in custody. Such cruel and degrading treatment, particularly of a person with disability, is utterly unacceptable in a civilised society, the commission said. 'This incident challenges the very spirit of constitutional values and the notion of human dignity. No individual, regardless of the accusations against them, deserves to be subjected to such humiliation and public exposure. This act is a direct violation of the right to life and personal liberty enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution,' the order said. The man, a resident of Faridabad, was arrested on May 24, 2021, in connection with a criminal case filed by his wife. In his complaint to HHRC, the man alleged that while he was in custody at Saran police station, Faridabad, he was stripped, photographed and filmed in a semi-naked condition. The visuals were circulated on social media. The incident, he said, caused him extreme mental trauma and public humiliation. He described the experience 'as akin to a living death' and said that the psychological trauma continues to weigh heavily on him, pushing him into a state of deep depression. According to the findings in the inquiry report of the director of investigation of the commission, it was found that on May 25, 2021, a brother-in-law of the complainant was allowed to take photos and record a video of the man while he was confined in the police lock-up in a semi-nude condition. 'The images and video footage were later circulated on social media, compounding the complainant's trauma, exposing him to public ridicule and causing deep psychological harm. The act of allowing civilians to capture visuals of a detainee, particularly in a compromised and vulnerable state, reflects a complete breakdown of custodial protocol and constitutes a direct violation of the complainant's right to privacy and dignity,' the report said. Police not only failed in their duty to protect the person in their custody, but actively enabled the public dissemination of humiliating content, resulting in irreversible reputational and emotional damage to the complainant, it added. In its order, HHRC said that the 'cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment' entitles the complainant to judicial protection, redressal and appropriate compensation under constitutional and human rights law. Puneet Arora, HHRC public relations officer, said the home department of the Haryana government has been ordered to pay ₹50,000 as compensation to the victim. This amount is to be recovered equally from the guilty police officials, he said. 'This compensation is not intended to represent the full measure of the harm suffered by the complainant, but is awarded as a symbolic acknowledgement of the violation of his human rights and human dignity,' the order said. 'Police custody must not turn into... torture and shame. This order sends a clear message that the system will not tolerate custodial abuse or the misuse of power,' Arora said.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Handicapped CA stripped, filmed in police lockup, rights panel imposes Rs 50k fine on cops
Gurgaon: A chartered accountant (CA) was stripped inside Saran police station lockup, and a video of the incident, filmed by his brother-in-law with the help of police, was shared on social media. Taking cognisance of the incident, Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) imposed a fine of Rs 50K on a sub-inspector and a constable, ordering that the amount be deducted from their salary. CA Anil Thakur, who is also a person with physical disability, was going through a dispute with his wife. On April 6, 2021, his wife filed a complaint against him under sections 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC at Saran police station, following which he was arrested from his residence in Faridabad on May 24, 2021, and taken to Saran police station. In his complaint, he alleged that while in custody, he was stripped, photographed, and filmed, and that these videos were later circulated on social media. The incident, which was a grave violation of his human rights, caused him extreme mental trauma and public humiliation, he said. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon The CA approached HHRC in June 2021, following which the commission sought a report on the incident from Faridabad police commissioner. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Many Are Watching Tariffs - Few Are Watching What Nvidia Just Launched Seeking Alpha Read More Undo The report, submitted in Aug 2021, confirmed that the CA was arrested but denied his stripping and harassment. However, in Sept 2021, the commission directed the police to form an inquiry committee and look through the CCTV footage of the given date. The committee, in its report, said that while the man was kept naked in the lock-up, it was a voluntary act and done due to the heat. The CCTV footage could not be retrieved, it added. After the commission went through the report and gave the police directions to review it, a fresh report was submitted by the police. In this it was mentioned that ASI Jagwati and constable Rakesh Kumar detained the man and instructed him to remove his clothes, leaving him with only his underwear on. The report admitted the negligence of the officials in performance of their duties. The full bench of the commission, comprising chairperson Justice Lalit Batra and members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, observed that the conduct of police amounted to a serious violation of the human rights of the man. "The conduct of police officials constitutes a blatant abuse of authority and breach of the minimum standard of human treatment," said the commission. "Reducing a detainee to a semi-nude condition, without cause and in a custodial setting, constitutes humiliation and psychological abuse," it said, adding that it was "shocking" that the police even permitted his relative to record his videos during his detention. Puneet Arora, protocol, information & public relations officer of the commission, said that HHRC ordered the payment of Rs 50,000 as compensation to the victim and the amount was to be recovered equally from the guilty police officials — ASI Jagwati and Constable Rakesh Kumar. "Police custody must not turn into a site of torture and shame. This order sends a clear message that the system will not tolerate custodial abuse or the misuse of power," said Arora. The commission further highlighted that the compensation issued was not intended to represent the full measure of the harm suffered by the complainant but was awarded as a symbolic acknowledgment of the violation of his human rights and human dignity.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Rights panel slams Haryana cops for stripping disabled CA, orders ₹50k relief
Chandigarh: The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has indicted a police assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and a constable of forcibly making an arrested chartered accountant (CA), who has a physical disability, to strip to his underwear, allow a relative of his estranged wife to make a video of him in the embarrassing position, and then distribute it. The commission on Wednesday asked the Haryana home department to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to the victim, a resident of Faridabad who was arrested in a molestation case registered on a complaint by his wife at Saran police station. The order came from a full quorum bench comprising commission chairman Justice Lalit Batra, judicial member Kuldeep Jain, and member Deep Bhatia, while announcing partial relief in a case pending for three years. The incident dates to May 2021, when the ASI and constable had gone to arrest the victim. The victim alleged that after his arrest, the cops instructed him to remove his clothes in public view. Though he resisted, they coerced him into disrobing himself to his underwear, he alleged. Thereafter, he claimed, the cops facilitated a relative of his estranged wife to click his photo and shoot a video while in a semi-nude condition, and the same was circulated. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Enhance Online Presence and Get Customers [Try Now] Undo "This was not just a grave violation of human rights of the person by cops but resulted in traumatic stigma on the complainant as the video and pictures shot by private persons were circulated in private circles. Now, we have directed the home department to compensate the victim, and the department is at liberty to recover the fine from the errant cops identified as ASI Jagmati and constable Rakesh," said the commissioner in the order. The complainant also claimed that his request to the office of the Faridabad commissioner of police (CP) did not bear fruit. Even before HHRC, the police force was not cooperative and favoured the errant cops by not sharing the video footage of the lock-up. On reinvestigation, a DCP-level officer admitted to the victim being semi-nude but claimed that the victim volunteered to remove his clothes due to the summer heat. The commission did not buy this theory and assigned the investigation to its own investigating team headed by an SP-level officer. During investigation, the allegations were found to be true, and the complainant also brought on record a clip and photographs circulated by the relative of his estranged wife. "Since the availability of the video clip was an admitted fact supported by circumstantial evidence, this was enough to indict the errant cops to announce this order," said Bhatia, HHRC member.
Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Indian Express
Forcing elderly parents to live in fear, without care, on own property constitutes gross human rights violation: Haryana panel
Forcing elderly parents to live in fear, without food or care, on their own property constitutes a gross violation of their human rights, the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has ruled while referring a case of a Panchkula-based elderly couple to the police commissioner. 'The psychological abuse, denial of basic necessities, and coercion to surrender property against their will is not only morally reprehensible but also legally indefensible,' Justice Lalit Batra, Chairperson of the commission, noted in an order released on Monday. The commission asked the Panchkula police to give immediate protection to Arjan Dev Aggarwal, 82, and his wife Vijay Aggarwal, 72, who have approached it seeking urgent intervention against alleged harassment, neglect, and abandonment by their son and daughter-in-law. The couple, residents of Panchkula Sector 9, alleged that their son and daughter-in-law used abusive language against them and that their children who reside in the same house do not care for and support them 'despite [their] advanced age and serious health ailments including multiple surgeries'. The couple further alleged that their son and daughter-in-law pressured them to transfer ownership of their self-acquired residential property and taunted them to leave for an old age home. The commission said in the order that a false case of domestic violence had also been filed to harass the elderly couple. Referring to various legal provisions under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007, the commission said, 'Senior citizens unable to maintain themselves are entitled to claim maintenance from their adult children. The obligation of such children extends to ensuring that the parent may lead a normal life. Where the child or relative is in possession of the property or stands to inherit it, the duty to maintain becomes binding and proportional.' The commission's order further stated, 'Where a senior citizen has transferred property subject to the condition of being cared for and such care is not provided, the transfer is deemed to have been made under coercion or undue influence and is liable to be declared void by the Senior Citizen Tribunal.' 'Whoever having the care or protection of a senior citizen leaves and abandons senior citizen with the intention to wholly abandoning them is punishable with imprisonment or fine,' the order read. The commission recommended that the matter be urgently forwarded to the Panchkula deputy commissioner with the directions to provide the elderly couple with immediate protection through the police or other authorities, 'ensuring that they are not subject to further harassment or abuse'. The commission also recommended that the deputy commissioner 'expedite the proceedings pending before the Senior Citizen Tribunal, Panchkula, and extend all necessary administrative support so that the complainants may obtain effective relief without delay'. The commission also sought an action-taken report before the next date of hearing in the matter, September 23, 2025.
