A sub-inspector of the UT Police was held guilty by the court today in a custodial death case. Additional District and Sessions Judge Raj Rahul Garg convicted Sub-Inspector (SI) Narinder Singh for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under section 304 (II) and Section 218 (public servant framing incorrect record) of the IPC. The quantum of sentence will be announced on November 9.

The case dates back to July 2007 when the custodial death of a youth, Anil Kumar (21), from Manimajra had rocked the police department. Anil had mysteriously died at the Manimajra police station in July 2007, when the police personnel had picked him up on mere suspicion. On August 10, 2007, the police had booked Narinder holding him responsible for illegally detaining Anil and his death.

The youth had died after jumping from the second floor of the police station within hours of his detention. His family had then alleged that Anil was tortured by the SI, which caused his death.

After the matter was highlighted by the media, Narinder tried to fudge the entries of Anil’s detention made in the police station records. The matter finally came up before the High Court, which took strong exception to the way the Chandigarh Police dealt with the case. “Strong medical evidence supported by the doctor’s statements that injuries received by the deceased were due to assault and jumping from a height gave the prosecution the winning edge in the case,” said public prosecutor Manu Kakkar, adding that the evidence established that the victim was assaulted and then jumped when the accused SI was with him at the police station.

... contd.