New Delhi, Jan 25 (LAB) The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Bihar on a media report where 70 years old man was publicly beaten up by two female police personnel with batons on January 20, 2023, as he fell on the road causing a traffic jam for a moment.
The incident pertains to an incident in the Kaimur district of Bihar. The victim has been teaching for the last many years in a private school and was on his way to the institute when his cycle skidded and he fell on the road causing a traffic jam for a moment even as he was struggling to get up. This made both the police personnel engaged starting beating him in full public view.
Taking suo motu cognizance of a media report of the incident the NHRC called for a detailed report on the matter within four weeks. NHRC observed that the contents of the media report as well as a video of the incident appear to raise a serious issue of the right to life and dignity of the victim. The public servants purportedly exercised their power in excess and acted in a manner, which was reasonably not connected with the discharge of official duty. Public servants like them are required to be dealt with strictly and sensitized to handle such situations sensibly and with a humane approach.
The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Bihar calling for a detailed report on the matter within four weeks. The report should include the present status of the FIR registered against the responsible police personnel and departmental action taken or proposed to be taken against them. The NHRC said that the Commission would also like to know about the present health status of the victim. The report must contain compensation, if any, paid to him.
The Commission further observed that the trauma of road accidents generally makes the persons involved in it, numb and nervous for a moment. In such situations, it becomes a moral duty of the citizens as well as police personnel present on the spot to help the victims instead of shouting and beating them./LAB/SNG/