INDIAN TORTURED

Evening Star, Issue 22952, 9 May 1938, Page 13

INDIAN TORTURED

BEATEN FOR SIX HOURS Complete silence is being maintained in Punjab Government,-circles over recent severe strictures on the police passed by the Chief Justice, Sir Douglas Young. , ■ : v " Acquitting an Indian nightwatchman named Kiroo, who had been- sentenced to transportation for life ; for the murder of a policeman, the Chief Justice condemned the police practice of extorting confessions from prisoners suspected of crime. A copy of the judgment was sent to the local Government for information and action. . But that action is, apparently, to. be kept a purely departmental secret. Kirooj who was watchman, in a coffee shop in the military lines at Rawalpindi, was questioned concerning a case of, burglary, In an attempt .to extort, a confession he was beaten, and tortured in public in the military lines for six hours by an Indian police constable. So disgusting was the spectacle, which took place under the eyes or children in the married quarters of the barracks, that a British pipe-major of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders protested and reported the matter to his superiorsLater, Kiroo seized the weapon with which he was being beaten, and in selfdefence killed his tormentor. The Chief Justice declared ; 44 In our opinion he was_ justified—if ever a man was justified—in using any weapon he could obtain to defend himself 44 He had every reason to think that he might either' be killed or suffer grievous hurt. 41 Any person who undergoes prolonged torture at the hands of the police may well apprehend these consequences. . .... “We.are satisfied that method of investigation does exist; it is a disgrace to the’ Police Force and a dangerous obstacle to the adminstration of justice, which it brings ipto contempt It can and must be stopped.” .METHOD “ NORMAL." The Chief Justice added: " The' torturing of this man was to all intents and purposes in public; many persona witnessed it. , “ - ; „ . 44 The inference to be drawn is that the police thought they had nothing to conceal, or that torturing such suspects was to them normal procedure. 44 The accused was being mercilessly tortured and beaten, and this was carried on for a length of time horrible to contemplate. • 4 ‘ In most cases suspects subjected to treatment of this Illegal and despicable character are helpless and hopeless. “ They have merely to suffer until Nature does not permit them further to resist, and a confession or discovery of stolen property—false or true—ft kiroo, however, through the action of the police themselves, was placed in a position where he could get a weapon of defence, and took advantage of it.” . _____