Gujarat high court on Wednesday directed the inspector general of Surat Range to conduct an inquiry against Tapi district SP and an encounter-accused, N K Amin, and his two subordinate officers, and to register an FIR, if he finds any substance in a journalist's complaint of being beaten and stripped.
In this case, a journalist associated with a Surat daily, Shivnaresh Bhadauria, filed a petition before the HC demanding registration of an FIR against Amin, Tapi's DySP Bhagirath Gadhvi, and a police inspector for illegally detaining, beating and stripping him naked on July 10, besides threatening him not to highlight crime instances.
Tapi police issued a notice to the journalist asking for an explanation for reporting crime news in the daily. When he went to police headquarters, he was made to sign a statement by Amin and two others, who did not even allow him to read it. But before he signed the statement and was allowed to leave the office, Bhadauria was allegedly beaten and stripped on pretext that he was carrying a recording device with him. Cops allegedly threatened him to detain him under the Prevention of Anti-social Activities Act (PASA), if he did not stop writing about the surge in crime rate in Tapi district.
Bhadauria claimed that the cops called his senior at the newspaper and asked him to sack the reporter. He has urged to book Amin and two others under sections 120B, 342, 321 and 506(2) of the IPC.
After hearing Bhadauria's case, Justice A J Desai ordered IG, Surat Range, Shamsher Singh, to inquire into the matter and register an FIR, if any offence is revealed. Bhadauria had earlier made a complaint before Singh for action against Amin, but his alleged inaction had forced him to move the HC.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has sought state government's reply over extension of Amin's service after he retired last year.
Bhadauria claimed that the cops called his senior at the newspaper and asked him to sack the reporter. He has urged to book Amin and two others under sections 120B, 342, 321 and 506(2) of the IPC.
After hearing Bhadauria's case, Justice A J Desai ordered IG, Surat Range, Shamsher Singh, to inquire into the matter and register an FIR, if any offence is revealed. Bhadauria had earlier made a complaint before Singh for action against Amin, but his alleged inaction had forced him to move the HC.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has sought state government's reply over extension of Amin's service after he retired last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment