By Atul Ashok Howale
New Delhi: Four Gujarat Police officials are facing a probe after the family of a minor Muslim boy alleged that 17-year-old Sahil* was illegally confined, sexually assaulted and tortured by police in Botad district inside the police station. An FIR was filed against four constables – Yogesh Solanki, Ajay, Kaushik Jani and Kuldeep Singh Vaghela – on Saturday (September 13), but they have not yet been arrested.
The four constables named in the FIR have been charged under Sections 120(1) (causing hurt to extort confession or recover property), 127(8) (illegal detention) and 54 (common intention at the scene of crime) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 75 (cruelty to a child) of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Sahil was detained by the Botad police on August 19 on the suspicion of theft. According to his family, he was then illegally kept in the police station for nine days without an arrest warrant. During this time, he was allegedly subjected to immense physical and sexual abuse.
When the minor’s condition became critical because of his injuries, the police took him to a local hospital. Doctors later referred him to Ahmedabad due to the severity of his injuries. Currently, he is undergoing treatment at Zydus Hospital in Ahmedabad, where his condition is improving, his family said.
A theft and a detention
Sahil’s ordeal was triggered by a theft in Botad. A resident had locked up his house on June 30, and when he returned on July 12, he found that it had been robbed. An FIR was filed against unknown persons at the Botad City Police Station on July 13.
Under the pretext of investigating this old theft case, the Batod Police detained Sahil and two others on August 19, more than a month after the incident. Sahil works as a daily-wage worker. After the death of his parents, he has been living with his grandparents and two sisters.
Sahil’s sister Tasneem* told The Wire, “On August 19, the police took my brother into police custody without a warrant. No case had been registered against him. Someone told the police that he had a mobile phone and a bike, so they picked him up without a warrant.”
“Later, the police searched our house. They broke down the door and took away Rs 50,000 which was my grandparents’ pension money. They took all the money and, while leaving, threatened every member of the house,” she continued.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.