Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has ordered an inquiry after pictures of a 42-year-old tribal man, who was allegedly flogged by the Latehar district police for “dropping off Maoists” in the forest area, was shared on social media.
The issue was brought up by rights body Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM) which said that the victim Anil Singh, claimed to be a farmer, was allegedly picked up in the intervening night of February 23 and 24 by the Garu police in Latehar district and beaten up severely.
Anil Singh told the reporters: “We were sleeping at home when the Garu police station in-charge knocked on the door and asked me to accompany him to the police station. I had two guests at my home, and they were also asked to come. The police alleged that we had gone to drop off Maoists and then they started beating me to an extent that I went unconscious.”
Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Hemant Soren tweeted in Hindi: “Jharkhand Police, take immediate cognisance of the matter and take strictest possible action against the culprits and inform.”
The rights body said that an FIR should be registered immediately against the station incharge and demanded compensation for the victim.
“Anil and a couple of other villagers were picked up at midnight and accused of helping Maoists. He and another person were severely beaten till he lost consciousness. It must be noted that innocent Adivasi Bramhadev Singh of the same block was killed by security forces a few months back. He was shot dead during a Naxal search operation,” said a release by the JJM.
A 24-year-old man from a tribal community was killed at the Piri village under Garu block of Jharkhand’s Latehar district on June 12 last year, in what police claimed was an incident of “crossfire”. Later, the villagers filed a complaint at the Garu police station against the security personnel, calling it a case of unilateral firing by the police.
