A Srinagar court on Friday directed the Crime Branch to file a first information report against police officials allegedly involved in a custodial death case of 25-year-old Muslim Muneer Lone in the city on July 9.
The directions came on a plea filed by Lone’s mother, Shafiqa Muneer, on Thursday. Lone’s family has alleged that he was tortured by the police.
Lone was detained by a team at the Nowgam Police on July 9 morning for his alleged involvement in a theft case. In the afternoon, the same police team went to Lone’s house and told the family that he had lost consciousness.
After Lone’s condition did not improve, he was taken to a hospital by his family members where he was declared dead.
The Nowgam Police, however, have claimed that Lone died due to an overdose of drugs. On July 11, a police spokesperson had said that an inquiry has been launched into the case and one official has been suspended.
In her plea before the court, Muneer alleged that the police team made her sign a blank paper and gave her Rs 400 before leaving the house. She also alleged that there were marks of torture on Lone’s body.
Muneer told the court that she had approached the station house officer at Channapora Police Station and the superintendent of police for getting the FIR registered but it was not done.
On Friday, the court said that the suspension order shows that senior police officials of the district were aware of the incident.
“The police are mandated under law to register FIR of every cognisable offence once the same is disclosed and investigate the same,” the court said in its order. “In the present case, the police have not done so.”
The court also directed the Crime Branch to appoint an officer to investigate the case.
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