The National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over the custodian death of an accused in the Dadri lynching case.
Ravi aka Robin, a 22-year-old accused in the case, died of kidney and respiratory failure at Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Hospital here yesterday, doctors said.
He was lodged in the district jail in Gautam Buddha Nagar and rushed to LNJP Hospital yesterday from a district hospital in Noida in Uttar Pradesh after he was “suspected to be suffering from dengue”, police said.
Ravi was arrested after Mohammed Akhlaq of Dadri’s Bishada village was dragged out of his house and killed by a mob in September last year on suspicion of eating beef, triggering communal tension in the region.
Taking suo motu cognisance of a media report, NHRC issued notice to the Director General of Prisons and the Director General of Police and sought a report within four weeks.
The NHRC has observed that the content of the report raises a serious issue of “violation of human rights” of the prisoner.
In a statement, the Commission also observed that “the reported different versions and opinions of the jail and the hospital authorities, and the suspicion raised by the family members of the deceased prisoner indicate that the matter requires a thorough probe to determine the facts, which led to his death.”
Ravi’s family has alleged foul play and that “he was kept in a separate cell by the jail authorities and mercilessly beaten up by some police officials inside jail on September 30, due to which his condition deteriorated”.
“Allegations regarding beating of the prisoner by some police personnel in judicial custody are also serious in nature,” the NHRC said.
“Even in the judicial custody, a prisoner cannot be deprived of his right to life, which is also ensured by the Constitution. The family members have all the rights to know about ill-health of the prisoner.
“Someone, who is suffering from illness in judicial custody cannot avail the medical treatment of his own choice. Therefore, the Commission observed, it is the duty of the authority under whose guardianship he is being detained, to protect his right to life, which cannot be exercised, if proper medical treatment is not provided to him in time.”
NHRC said reportedly, the hospital authorities have said that Ravi died due to “kidney and respiratory failure”.
The NHRC further said that “according to the media report, the authorities did not inform the family about the deteriorating condition of the prisoner. It was only after his death on October 4 that his family was informed”.
A mob had lynched 52-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq and injured his son Danish after dragging them out of their home in Bishada village on September 28, 2015, following rumours that they had slaughtered a cow and consumed beef.
The incident created outrage across the country leading to a heated debate on ‘rising intolerance’ in the country.
A total of 19 persons were accused in the case. Of these, one was given a clean chit by police and let off. Two minors were also bailed out by courts.
The remaining 16 accused were lodged in jail.
On June 9 this year, a local court in Greater Noida had ordered the police to register an FIR against Akhlaq’s family for alleged cow slaughter on a plea by a resident of Bisada village.
Police had taken samples of meat recovered from Akhlaq’s home as well as a place near his house where carcass of an animal was found.
