BHRC orders Rs 25,000 compensation to police atrocity victim

Patna: The Bihar Human Rights Commission (BHRC) Tuesday directed the state Home Department to pay Rs 25,000 compensation to the owner of a puncture repair shop, who was illegally confined and assaulted by a Station House Officer (SHO) for demanding repair charges.

The incident occurred on November 18, 2013, when Vivek Kumar, who runs the puncture repair shop at Dhansoi Police Station Chowk in Buxar district, mended the puncture of a motorcycle belonging to Station House Officer Mahendra Prasad, Neelmani, member, BHRC, said while passing the order. Kumar was arrested by the SHO when he demanded Rs 30 as repair charges. He was taken to Dhansoi police station, assaulted and locked up in the cell there. The SHO also misbehaved with Kumar`s father and uncle, who rushed to the police station after hearing about the incident, Neelmani said. The victim was released after around six hours of confinement at the intervention of Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), the BHRC member said. "Kumar petitioned BHRC and we got it probed through Buxar Superintendent of Police. The enquiry report established assault and confinement of the victim by the SHO. The defence submitted by the SHO was untenable. It was a serious incident of misuse of power by the police," Neelmani said. "We have accordingly asked the Home Department to pay Rs 25,000 compensation to Kumar within two months. We have also directed the department to initiate departmental proceedings against the SHO and recover the compensation amount from his salary depending on the outcome of the proceedings", Neelmani added. Neelamani, who retired as Bihar`s Director General of Police (DGP), said such incidents dent the image of the force and it is important to deal with them sternly to show that such things will not be tolerated or protected.