Custodial Torture Allegations Trigger High-Level Probe by Haryana Human Rights Commission

The state rights panel has intervened after a silver merchant alleged he was stripped, assaulted, and extorted for ₹10 lakh by GRP officers in Ambala.

The iron gates of a police station are meant to be the first line of public safety, but for a silver trader caught in the gears of the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Ambala Cantonment, they became the threshold of a harrowing ordeal. What began as a routine request for questioning on June 20, following a reported theft on a train, spiraled into a nightmare of alleged illegal detention, severe physical assault, and a calculated extortion attempt.

The complainant, who frequently travels between Delhi and Punjab for his trade, claims he was summoned to the station despite having no links to the crime. According to his complaint, he was held without an FIR or any incriminating evidence. The accusations go further: he alleges he was stripped, videographed in a state of undress, and subjected to "third-degree" torture. The police allegedly demanded ₹10 lakh, threatening him with false implication if he failed to pay.

Intervention by the Commission

The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has now stepped in, taking stern cognisance of the matter. In an order dated July 1, Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra did not mince words. He described the allegations as a "disturbing account" of how state machinery can be weaponized against a citizen. The commission has mandated a high-level inquiry, recognizing that custodial violence—if proven—is a fundamental breach of the trust placed in law enforcement.

The victim, who later sought medical care at a government hospital in Bathinda for his injuries, also reported that his mobile phone was seized and his mother was barred from seeing him during his detention. The times have changed, but the shadow of "third-degree" methods remains a persistent ghost in the corridors of Indian policing.

Why it matters

This case is not an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern of reports regarding police overreach and the abuse of authority. Across the country, from the Rajkot custodial torture cases involving minors to ongoing litigation over CCTV preservation in custody, the judiciary and rights panels are struggling to enforce the Supreme Court’s long-standing mandate for transparency.

When public officials tasked with upholding the law are accused of violating the very human rights they are meant to protect, it erodes the basic social contract. The HHRC’s directive to investigate these claims is a crucial check, but the systemic challenge remains: ensuring that police stations are governed by the rule of law rather than the arbitrary discretion of those behind the desk. Until the use of CCTV and strict procedural adherence becomes the norm rather than the exception, the risk of such abuses will continue to haunt the system.