NHRC seeks report on death of Mason Chhena Tatwa in police custody

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Ara : National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) sought adetail report from Bhojpur district administration on the death of Chhena Tatwa alias Ramjas Tatwa, 38, a Mason, under Barhara police station in Bhojpur district in March 2017.

The NHRC said that Bhojpur police had assured an investigation by a magistrate into the incident but the report is still unavailable. In a letter to the Bhojpur SP through Bihar government, the NHRC directed to make available the name and designation of the magistrate before whom the post-mortem of the deceased was performed, Xerox copy of the request letter for the deputation of magistrate, CD of the videography of the post-mortem and wound report.

Police had arrested Chhena Tatawa in inebriated state on March 4, 2017, after his daughter complained that her father used filthy language and tried to outrage her modesty in a drunken state and took him to Barhara police station but the arrested person died in police custody. Police said that Chhena Tatawa, son of Paras Tatawa, jumped off the running vehicle and died but his daughter Nita Tatawa and wife Shobhanti Devi alleged that he was mercilessly beaten up by police and after he succumbed to his injuries, police threw his body from the roof of the police station. Police did not allow the family members to meet Chhena Tatawa at the police station.

The then SHO Barhaara police station had refuted charges of family members of the deceased saying that he would resign from his post if it was proved that he died due to police beating. SDPO, Sanjay Kumar, had said that Chhena Tatawa tried to escape from the running police jeep and jumped off the vehicle and received head injuries. Police admitted him to the Primary Health Centre but the doctors there referred him to Ara Sadar Hospital but he succumbed to his injuries on way to Ara hospital. But the medical board formed for the post-mortem of the deceased was surprised after seeing his injuries. The deceased had only deep head injuries and not a single bruise on any part of the body.

The then Bhojpur SP Kshatranil Singh had suspended an ASI Arvind Kumar and a Chowkidar in connection with the death of a person in police custody. After the death of a Mason under mysterious circumstances in police custody on March 4, 2017, hundreds of irate villagers including women and children staged gherao  Barhara police station on March 5, 2017, with the body of the deceased and also pelted cops with stones.