In an important update following a ruling by the Supreme Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested six members of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), for allegedly causing torture to a constable while in custody.
The arrests are linked to a 2023 incident where constable Khursheed Ahmad Chohan claimed he was unfairly held captive and tortured, which he said caused him to be 'completely castrated.' This comes after a Supreme Court directive on July 21, which ordered the CBI to investigate the case.
According to official sources, the arrested officers include DSP Aijaz Ahmad Naiko and Sub-Inspector Riyaz Ahmad, along with four other police personnel. The arrests were carried out by a CBI Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was specifically formed for this case.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, had issued a clear set of directions. They ordered the CBI to register a case within seven days and establish an SIT led by an officer with a rank no lower than Superintendent of Police. Furthermore, the court was explicit in its instructions regarding the arrests.
"The police officials found responsible for the custodial torture shall be arrested forthwith and not later than a period of one month from today," the court had stated. The investigation is required to be completed within 90 days of the FIR's registration.
Also Read: On the run in a 26-yr-old murder case, CBI arrests accused
A senior CBI official confirmed that the accused were taken into custody after being summoned for questioning on Wednesday. The official stated that the investigation is ongoing.
Last month, the Supreme Court had also ordered the Jammu and Kashmir administration to provide Rs 50 lakh as compensation to constable Chohan. The court's order specified that the compensation was intended to "provide some solace to the victim and his family for the barbaric acts of custodial torture leading to complete castration."
The case originated from an incident in February 2023 when Chohan claimed he was summoned for questioning in a narcotics inquiry. He alleged that he was subsequently illegally detained and tortured. His wife's attempts to file a First Information Report (FIR) regarding the custodial torture were unsuccessful. Instead, the police filed a case against Chohan himself for an alleged suicide attempt. Chohan's petition to the high court to quash the FIR was denied, which led him to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for November 17, at which point a status report on the investigation is to be submitted.
Also Read: CAT Jammu grants ex-Prison Warden relief 25 yrs after termination
Follow us
