GUWAHATI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Assam government to pay compensation of Rs 1 lakh to Shaukat Ali, who was allegedly tortured by miscreants in the presence of police personnel at Biswanath Chariali on April 7, 2019.
“The NHRC further directed the DGP Assam to apprise it within four weeks of action taken against the police officials involved in the incident and warned of invoking appropriate laws if this directive is ignored,” said a statement issued by the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia who filed a complaint to the NHRC.
On April 7, 2019 an elderly Muslim man named Shaukat Ali was heckled and abused by a mob at Biswanath Chariali town in Assam. Ali was thrashed by the mob for allegedly selling beef in the weekly market. Moreover, Ali was made to kneel down and forced to eat pork by the mob, as per reports.
The striking thing that came out from Ali’s narrative was the impudence of the police in dealing with the case. They kept Ali in the police station for the whole night after they took him away from the mob. They also did not provide him any medical aid; he was not even allowed to get a change of clothes. It was only the next day, April 8, that he was admitted to the hospital for a primary medical check-up, as per Ali.
The order by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was issued based on a complaint lodged by the Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia of the Congress.
“… It is clearly discernible from the report that public servant was collecting revenue from the market involving some local unemployed youths which is against the law. The victim was found insulted and disgraced on the basis of caste/religion and therefore, the human rights of the victim were violated. Police apprehended 15 persons and forwarded them to judicial custody. Thus, prima facie it is a case of violation of human rights of the victim for which the state is vicariously liable to compensate the victim,” the NHRC order reads.
The Commission took a strong note that neither the Chief Secretary replied to a show-cause notice nor the Director General of Police (DGP) submitted the action taken report against some guilty cops. The Commission also directed that the compensation be paid to Ali by October 24 this year.
