Safeguarding the human rights of an innocent or accused person is of the utmost importance, said A Raja (File)
New Delhi:
DMK deputy A Raja wrote a letter to Interior Minister Amit Shah on Thursday asking him to introduce the 2017 Torture Prevention Bill at the next sitting of parliament after the alleged death of a man and his son in Tamil Nadu.
The bill, which aims to sentence civil servants convicted of torture to life, was drafted by the Law Commission to implement the United Nations Convention against Torture.
P Jeyaraj and son Bennicks, arrested for allegedly violating lock standards during the opening hours of their mobile phone store in Tuticorin district, died in a hospital on June 23, relatives claim to have been severely beaten at the police station in Sathankulam by the cops.
The incident sparked a nationwide outcry, leading to the suspension of five police officers, including an inspector and two sub-inspectors. The Tuticorin police superintendent was removed from his post and placed on “compulsory waiting”.
Deploring the incident, the DMK deputy in the letter said that the death in detention had raised “eyebrows because of the extent of the torture and violence perpetrated by the Tamil Nadu police”.
Stressing that death in detention is one of the worst crimes in civilized society, Mr. Raja asked Amit Shah to ensure that the bill is passed in parliament at the next session.
“In these circumstances, on behalf of the DMK, he is prayed that the Torture Prevention Bill 2017 will be dealt with judiciously and promulgated in Parliament with additional provisions (if necessary) to resolve the issues raised in the Santhankulam, incident occurred next session itself or issue a presidential order, “said Mr. Raja in the letter.
A Raja, a lawyer himself, said that the Supreme Court had also issued detailed guidelines to protect the rights of an arrested person as well as to limit unauthorized arrest or torture by the police.
Arrests are necessary to guarantee the orchestration of the law, but the safeguarding of human rights – whether innocent or accused – is essential, he added. .
