National Human Rights Commission has slapped a notice on Tamil Nadu police for rights abuse.
After a 17 year old boy was stripped, thrashed with wooden logs and then forced to drink water from the toilet in Tamil Nadu, the National Human Rights Commission today stepped in and issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Police chief.
The Commission took cognisance of a media report about the alleged illegal detention of a juvenile belonging to the nomadic Kuravas community in Tamil Nadu. On July 31, the police picked up three of a family, including the juvenile, in connection with a burglary case. In its notice, the Commission has recorded that the three were subjected to "unbearable torture and inhuman treatment" by the police during their detention.
"The victims were made partially naked, assaulted with wooden logs and were forced to name someone from their community for his involvement in the theft. Badly injured, they had to drink the water fetched from the lock-up toilet, as the drinking water was not available to them," the Commission has said.
The minor boy was reportedly released only after an intervention from his family who convinced them that he was indeed a minor and had nothing to do with the alleged crime.
Noting the impact of the incident on the boy, the Commission said that the young boy appeared to be entirely disillusioned and was convinced that what he and his family members were made to suffer "just because they were born as Kuravas."
The Commission added that "no human being should be subjected to discrimination merely on the fact that he belongs to a particular caste, creed or community."
The Tamil Nadu police have four weeks to respond to the National Human Rights Commission notice.