New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the “compelling need of a stand-alone anti-custodial torture legislation”.
Dr Kumar, in March this year, had also written to the Prime Minister demanding that the government should approve the proposal of the select committee of the Rajya Sabha of a comprehensive “Prevention of Torture Bill 2010” that was considered compliant with the provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
He also added that the report of the law commission in October last year also favoured a stand-alone law against the custodial torture. Even the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has suggested the immediate need for such a legislation to ensure that torture in police of judicial custody does not go unchecked and there are stringent norms to deal with this menace.
Dr Kumar also added that India’s failure to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture enables the international community to question the country’s commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights and rule of law.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Kumar also attached a news report that mentioned “Torture Update India” by Asian Centre for Human Rights that was released on the international day in support of victims of torture.
According to the report, almost 1,674 custodial deaths took place in the country that comes down to five Indians dying every day between April 2017 to February 2018.
He added in his letter that “our criminal justice system is being criticised within the country and abroad for condoning acts of custodial torture”.
In the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, Dr Kumar wants that the government should take up the bill and ensure its smooth passage. The 18-day Monsoon Session of Parliament is scheduled to start from July 18.
