'Police cannot Handcuff Anyone as per their wish'
The Hindu
BANGALORE, Jan 7: Director-General and Inspector-General of Police R. Sri Kumar on Tuesday said that he would instruct the Udupi police to treat the arrested journalist B.V. Seetaram, who had been brought to the court premises in handcuffs, as a normal accused.
Speaking to The Hindu over telephone from New Delhi, Sri Kumar said he would also instruct the Udupi police to ensure that human rights were not violated while dealing with this case.
When his views were sought on the episode of handcuffing Mr. Seetaram, the DGP said he was not aware of this as he was away. However, he observed that “the police cannot handcuff anyone as per their wish. The police cannot violate the rules and regulations related to handcuffing the accused. There are certain guidelines which have to be followed in this regard.”
Meanwhile, Bipin Gopalakrishna, Inspector-General of Police (Karnataka State Human Rights) said: “It is a clear violation of human rights if the Udupi police had handcuffed a normal accused person. If the accused is said to be notorious and if the police feel that he might escape, only then the police can handcuff him. Even then, certain rules and regulations have to be followed.”
He said the SHRC will collect information in this regard from the Udupi police and look into the matter.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a State pubic prosecutor said that handcuffing the person who is not facing heinous charges was an offence according to the guidelines of the Supreme Court.
Complaint
Meanwhile, the South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), a non-governmental organisation fighting for the human rights of prison inmates, has decided to file a complaint against the Udupi police with the SHRC on Wednesday for alleged violation of human rights of Seetaram.
Handcuffing Seetaram condemned
KUWJ describes the incident as ‘an assault on democracy’
Bangalore: The Karnataka Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) adopted a resolution condemning the handcuffing of director and chairman of Chitra Publications Pvt. Ltd. B.V. Seetaram.
In the resolution, the KUWJ termed the incident of handcuffing as “an assault on democracy” and sought immediate intervention of the Home Minister to ensure that the defamation case against the journalist was conducted as per law.
Meanwhile, several journalists will stage a protest in Bangalore on Wednesday under the banner of “Journalists for Media Freedom” against the arrest and handcuffing of Mr. Seetaram. The protest will be held in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at 11 a.m.
In Udupi, the Udupi District Working Journalists’ Association deplored the arrest of Mr. Seetaram and the subsequent treatment meted out to him.
The Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha and the Students Federation of India (SFI) have condemned the arrest and the treatment meted out to him by the police.
Volunteers of the KPRS and SFI staged a protest demonstration and formed a human chain near Sri Krishnadevaraya Statue opposite the bus stand at Gangavati in Koppal district. In Shimoga, the Shimoga District Working Journalists’ Association said the manner in which Mr. Seetharam was arrested and paraded handcuffed by the police was not only undemocratic and inhuman but also a violation of human rights.
The Mysore District Journalists’ Association (MDJA) will hold demonstration in front of office of the Deputy Commission in Mysore on Wednesday to condemn the treatment meted out to Mr. Seetaram.
In Tumkur, nine prominent citizens and leaders of the PUCL on Tuesday urged Governor Rameshwar Thakur to advise Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa on the Seetaram issue.
Applications filed
Advocate for Seetharam has filed advancement applications before the courts of JMFC (Judicial Magistrate First Class) II and JMFC III.
The advocate Vikram Hegde said the applications were filed to ensure that all the four cases filed against Mr. Seetharam in different police stations were taken up early.
He said this was done because the anticipatory bail applications filed by him had become infructuous as the police had already secured body warrant to arrest Seetharam in the four cases.