Dear friends
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a reliable source that officers from the Chittaranjan Park Police Station in Delhi picked up six young men aged between 16 to 22, and forced them to clean the police station for almost six hours on 15 February 2004. The two boys out of the six, who objected to do it, were badly beaten and abused by the police.
The manner of the police of treating these six young persons can be clearly defined as “torture” as being described in the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). AHRC calls for the local authorities to order an immediate and thorough investigation into these allegations of torture and forced work, to bring the perpetrators to justice, and to provide adequate compensation to the victims of these abuses. Please send a letter to the local authorities and request them to correct this matter immediately.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:
Name of the victims: Amit (18), Kulwant (19) of Dakshinipuri Block No. 1, and four other boys of Dakshinipuri Block No. 19
Alleged perpetrators: Officers attached to Chittaranjan Park Police Station in Delhi
Date of incident: 15 February 2004
Case details:
Amit and Kulwant reside in Dakshinipuri Block No. 1 and work as assistants in a gift shop in Greater Kailash colony. At around 10:30 am on 15 February 2004, when Amit and Kulwant entered the Greater Kailash colony, they saw a police vehicle parked near by. One policeman beckoned them to come near. When they approached the car, the police asked them to get in the vehicle. Even though they replied that they were on the way to work, the police forced them to get into the vehicle. They then took these two boys to the Chittaranjan Park Police Station. Amit and Kulwant saw that there were four more boys who lived in Dakshinipuri Block No. 19. Two police officers ordered them to pick up broom, bucket and cloth and clean the police station. “hotel kee tarah chamka do isko (make it shine like a hotel)”, they said.
Amit and Kulwant refused to do it and said that they were going to their work place where they cannot go with dirty clothes on. Then, these two police officers took Amit and Kulwant to a room and began to give raining blows on them. The police also abused and humiliated them in filthy language. After seeing the brutal assault of Amit and Kulwant by the police, the remaining four boys started cleaning the police station out of fear. Amit and Kulwant were released from the police station at 3:00 pm when their employer went and pleaded and vouched for them.
It is reported that the additional Station Home Officer (SHO) of Chittaranjan Park Police Station confirmed that the police generally rounds up the boys. But he denied of forced cleaning and beating the boys. Ironically, the SHO added that since it was the police week (announced by the government), the police was being extra vigilant against possible crimes in the colony.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Send a letter, fax or email to the addresses below and express your concern about this case.
1. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
President
Office of the President,
Rashtrapati Bhawan,
New Delhi, 110004
INDIA
Tel: +91 11 3016767 (Joint Secretary), 3014507 (Personal Secretary)
Fax: +91 11 3017290, 3014570
Email: presssecy@alpha.nic.in or Pressecy@Sansad.nic.in
2. Shri Justice A S Anand
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission of India
Sardar Patel Bhawan
Sansad Marg, New Delhi – 110 001
INDIA
Tel: +91 11 2334 0891 / 2334 7065
Fax: +91 11 2334 0016
E-Mail: chairnhrc@nic.in
3. Mr. Anil Baijal
Home secretary
Ministry of Home Affairs
North Block, Central Secretariat,
New Delhi – 110 001
INDIA
Tel: +91 11 23092989 / 23093031
Fax: + 91 11 23093003 / 23093750 / 23092763
4. Mrs. Sheila Dikshit
Chief Minister
The Government of Delhi
AB-17, Mathura Rd., New Delhi
INDIA
Tel: +91 11 23392020, 23392030
E-mail: cmdelhi@ren02.nic.in
5. Shri Vijai Kapoor
Governor
The Government of Delhi
AB-17, Mathura Rd., New Delhi
INDIA
Tel: +91 11 22525022
Fax: +91 11 22937099
6. Mr. Theo C. van Boven
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917-9016
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear
Re: Forced work and assault of 6 young men by the Delhi police
Name of the victims: Amit (18), Kulwant (19) of Dakshinipuri Block No. 1, and four other boys of Dakshinipuri Block No. 19
Alleged perpetrators: Officers attached to the Chittaranjan Park Police Station in Delhi
Date of incident: 15 February 2004
I am writing to bring to your attention the forced work and severe assault of six young men by the officers of the Chittaranjan Park Police Station on 15 February 2004.
According to the information I have received, officers from the Chittaranjan Park Police Station in Delhi picked up six young men aged between 16 to 22, and forced them to clean the police station for almost six hours on 15 February 2004. Amit and Kulwant, who objected to do it, were badly beaten and abused by the police. They were released from the police station at 3:00 pm of that day after their employer went and pleaded and vouched for them. It is reported that the additional Station Home Officer (SHO) of Chittaranjan Park Police Station denied of forced cleaning and beating the boys even though he confirmed that the police generally rounds up the boys.
Article 1 of Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) defines that the term “torture” means “any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity.” Therefore, the forced work and assault of six young men by the police is torture as being described in CAT.
I urge you to conduct thorough investigation of this matter and bring the person(s) responsible for the forced work and assault of these six young men. The alleged police perpetrators must be suspended from service while independent inquiries are being conducted. I also urge the local authorities to compensate to the victims. I further request the Government of India to ratify the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) and implement it into domestic law without delay.
Sincerely yours,
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Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
