Police 3rd degree! Custodial deaths rising in Assam

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Dec 20: The counter is rising for cases of custodial deaths in Assam -averaging one death every week this year. Between April 1, 2012 and November 30 this year, a total of 110 cases of deaths in custody were registered, official records say. Of them, 75 were in judicial custody and 35 in police custody. Of the 110 cases, 43 have been disposed off after investigation while 67 are still pending. From April 1, 2014, till November this year, 53 cases of custodial deaths have been reported, 40 in judicial custody and 13 in police custody. The tiol Human Rights Commission had taken up some cases and disposed off seven of them, directing payment of compensation totaling Rs 17 lakh to the kin of the victims.

Sources said that though the police is required to intimate the NHRC within 24 hours of any custodial death, the norm is not followed in most cases.

Most of the custodial deaths and have been blamed on police torture.