Latest news with #JICs
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Mehbooba Mufti calls for systemic reform of J&K Police JICs
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday (July 22, 2025) called for 'systemic reform and scrutiny of all Joint Interrogation Centres (JICs)' of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, a day after the Supreme Court directed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and the arrest of police officials involved in the custodial torture of a fellow policeman on 'false charges'. 'A man was tortured so brutally that his genitals were mutilated is a chilling reminder of custodial abuse in J\&K. The SC's order for a CBI probe, arrests and ₹50L compensation is a long overdue step. This isn't an aberration, systemic reform and scrutiny of all JICs is urgently needed,' Ms. Mufti said. The victim, constable Khursheed Ahmad Chouhan of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, was granted a compensation of ₹50 lakh by the Supreme Court, 'recoverable from the officers concerned against whom a departmental proceeding shall be initiated upon conclusion of the investigation by the CBI.' Chouhan was arrested on February 20, 2023, and allegedly subjected to 'brutal custodial torture for six consecutive days'. 'Considering the gravity and magnitude of the custodial torture established through medical records and the institutional apathy that followed, we are of the considered opinion that this is a fit case for awarding compensation to the victim of the violence,' the Supreme Court Bench observed. According to the case records, Chouhan's genital organs and testicles were amputated. 'Pepper was sprinkled on his private parts, and he was given electric shocks which led to a fracture of his foot. He suffered grave injuries during the custodial torture, and was shifted to the District Hospital, Kupwara, in a comatose condition,' the court background note stated. 'The influence being exercised by local police officials is evident from the fact that no proper investigation was initiated despite clear medical evidence of torture, and instead, a counter FIR No. 32 of 2023 was registered against the victim himself under Section 309 of the IPC to create a false narrative,' the court noted. The Bench held that the local police at Kupwara had 'demonstrated complete institutional failure by first illegally detaining the appellant from 20th February, 2023, then subjecting him to barbaric and systematic torture.' The court also quashed FIR No. 32 of 2023 registered against the victim under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code.
Indian Express
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Gujarat police teams dispatched to Bengal, Northeast for ID verification of suspected illegal immigrants
The Gujarat Police has dispatched teams to West Bengal and some north-eastern states to conduct a physical verification of suspected to illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, who were detained in the state since early Saturday, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. The police department is also faced with the task of making temporary arrangements for confinement of confirmed illegal immigrants from the neighbouring country as the two Joint Interrogation Centres (JICs) in Ahmedabad and Kutch — the detention facilities for apprehended foreigners — are filled to their capacity. Senior officers confirmed that the police teams have been sent to West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya, which serve as transit points for illegal migration from Bangladesh to India. A senior official said that the teams have been sent for 'verification of documents' as some of the documents provided by the people, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, are carrying documents, which have faraway areas of West Bengal and the northeastern states as their addresses. The police suspect that those IDs could be 'fake' and might have been procured through a network facilitating the illegal immigration. 'The teams will conduct a physical verification of documents such as Aaadhar, voting cards, bank documents and other such ID proofs produced by them. Mobile phone data of the suspects, including details of their Bangladeshi contacts, and bank details are also being probed… we are also ascertaining whether their stay in Gujarat was facilitated by any agency for cheaper labour…' Among the questions facing the agencies that have now detained over 1,500 people across the state, is the confinement of the confirmed illegal immigrants, until they are deported. A senior Gujarat police officer said, 'The two detention centres (JICs) at Ahmedabad and Kutch, which have a capacity of about 100 and 70, respectively, are already overcrowded… The respective city police will have to make temporary arrangements locally to confine the illegal immigrants until the deportation is complete.' In Vadodara, Police Commissioner Narasimha Komar said that over 1300 suspected Bangladeshi nationals have been rounded up since Saturday — eight of them were confirmed as illegal immigrants. Komar also said that 41 others are suspected to be illegal immigrants, and a verification of their documents is underway. Komar told The Indian Express, 'Since Saturday, we have identified a total of eight Bangladeshi nationals who had been residing illegally in Vadodara. A probe is underway. Meanwhile, the Special Branch, which deals with registration of foreign nationals, has begun the process of deportation of the confirmed illegal immigrants… The necessary correspondence will be made with the government to expedite the process…' Komar said that the Vadodara city police already have five Bangladeshi illegal immigrants in its confinement since March last year, awaiting deportation. Komar said, 'Since the JICs are full, we will make temporary arrangements for the illegal immigrants. They are not under arrest during this period but under confinement at a regulated place… We have had five Bangladeshi nationals in confinement since March 2024 on the premises of the Special Operations Group in Vadodara. We are awaiting slots to be confirmed by the Border Security Force to execute the deportation of such immigrants.' Komar said that while the regular process of deportation can be time-consuming, the current drive against illegal immigrants, being a 'special drive', would see an expedited process. 'We believe that the government will expedite the deportation process for those illegal immigrants, who have been found since the commencement of the drive (on Saturday)…' Komar said. Till Sunday, the Gujarat police had detained close to 1,024 and rounded up close to 1,300 suspected Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. While 890 were detained in Ahmedabad, 134 were held in Surat. In Vadodara and Rajkot, 1300 and 800 persons have been rounded up, respectively. Of the 890 people detained in Ahmedabad, 100 have been confirmed as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, while it has been confirmed that Rajkot had 10 Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the city.
