JOIN USRaid: 14 in illegal custody
They directed the police to either release the boys or produce them before court.
The raid was conducted based on a complaint lodged by South India Centre for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) that the police had kept a boy named Sandeep in illegal custody since June 6.
Sandeep’s father Anthony had requested the police to release his son, but to no avail. Later, he approached SICHREM for help.
“We will undertake a detailed investigation. The Justice will initiate action based on the report which will be submitted to him soon,” said Bipin.
Held in theft case
The police said that Sandeep is an accused in a theft case and that he will be produced before the court along with the remaining 13 persons.
SICHREM’s fact-finding coordinator Prakash Kariyappa told Deccan Herald, “The police have failed to discharge their duty properly. Till we reached the police station, we knew only about Sandeep’s illegal custody. We were shocked to see 13 other people being taken into illegal custody. They are all in the age groups of 20 to 45. It’s a clear case of violation of human rights, as the police kept them in the station illegally for nearly a month.” He said, “These people might have committed crime.However, it doesn’t mean that the police should keep them in custody illegally, without producing them before the court. When questioned the police replied that they wanted to complete the process of recovering some stolen goods, which does not seem to be a substantial reason.”