Why Were 6 J&K Policemen Arrested for Custodial Torture?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Six policemen arrested for custodial torture.
- Supreme Court orders CBI investigation.
- Victim endured severe physical abuse.
- Compensation of Rs 50 lakh mandated for the victim.
- Special Investigation Team (SIT) established for thorough inquiry.
Srinagar, Aug 20 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained six officers from the Jammu and Kashmir police, including two senior officials, following directives from the Supreme Court regarding the custodial torture of a police constable.
As per reports, the arrested individuals consist of a deputy superintendent of police (Dy SP) and an inspector, along with two civilians implicated in this grave incident.
On July 21, the Supreme Court instructed the CBI to file an FIR concerning the “brutal and inhuman custodial torture” endured by a police constable in Jammu and Kashmir, mandating the Union Territory (UT) administration to provide him with a compensation of Rs 50 lakh.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta remarked that the injuries inflicted upon the constable during his unlawful detention, particularly the “complete mutilation of his genitalia, use of pepper/chilly powder, and electric shocks” administered to his genitalia, starkly illustrate the inhumane treatment he suffered.
“The cumulative effect of all these facts is deeply shocking to the conscience of this court. The violation of Article 21 is not only evident but egregious,” the apex court further noted.
The CBI has identified six policemen implicated in this case, including Dy SP Kupwara, Aijaz Ahmad Naiko; Sub-Inspector (SI) Riyaz Ahmad; and others: Jahangir Ahmad, Imtiyaz Ahmad, Mohammed Younis, and Shakir Ahmad, all stationed at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in Kupwara.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by a Superintendent of Police, has been established by the CBI to delve into this matter.
The FIR revealed that medical records from the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Hospital, Soura, Srinagar, documented “complete mutilation of genitalia with both testicles removed, lacerations on the scrotum, tenderness on palms and feet, bruises on buttocks extending to thighs, and multiple fractures throughout the victim's body.”
The victim’s spouse detailed the harrowing experience her husband faced since his detention on February 20, 2023, at the JIC, Kupwara.
“The Senior Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, surrendered my husband to Dy SP Naiko and SI Riyaz, who subjected him to six days of severe torture, almost leaving him lifeless,” she recounted.
She alleged that police officials abandoned her husband, Khursheed, “in a half-dead state in a remote location. However, due to the outcry of local residents, the police were forced to transport him to a hospital.”
She claimed that her husband endured horrific torture over six days, including the severe injury of having “his private parts cut off, iron rods inserted repeatedly, and red pepper placed in his rectum, along with electric shocks.”
“The SSP merely stood by, witnessing this atrocity,” the wife alleged. “This level of barbaric torture is unprecedented in human history. No family member was permitted to visit Khursheed throughout his six-day confinement,” she added.