NIA suspends its officer over the alleged torture of a suspect
By: Muzamil Bhat CK
Srinagar
It was through the social media that the news came first about the youth who was tortured allegedly by NIA while being questioned in a narco terrorism case.
According to the news reports from Jammu, soon after the social media went abuzz with this news, they immediately decided to take a stern action against the officer and these reports have said that he was placed under suspension.
A DSP rank officer of NIA is allegedly placed under suspension for brutally beating up a suspect during the questioning. This is for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir that the NIA has decided to take action against its officer taking cognizance of the reports.
Daily Excelsior quoting sources in NIA said the officer has been suspended and a high-level inquiry has been ordered.
A high-level probe has been ordered to look into the charges.
In a Facebook post, a man named Harjeet Singh, wrote that a youth was mercilessly thrashed during questioning. It is suspected that the man could have a role in the RS Pura narco terrorism case.
According to NIA, the officer, DSP Chekpal Sherawat, had tried to coerce a response out of the suspect as he believed the suspect may have hidden the consignment.
The suspect was let off after several hours of detention and questioning at the NIA office.
An NIA team headed by a senior officer in Poonch has been rushed to Jammu to look into the case.
DSP Chekpal Sherawat is originally from the Delhi Police force, who was inducted in NIA a decade ago.
The senior officer said, “There have been several complaints against him. He now faces disciplinary action, including dismissal.”
Sherawat was a Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police who went on to join the NIA. An officer said, “He took advantage of the recruitment rules of NIA and got absorbed as an inspector and later was promoted as a DSP whereas his colleagues are still SI.
He got posted to Jammu in September last year. This is said to be his first case at the Jammu branch.”
