Srinagar, Aug 20: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested six policemen, including two senior officers, and two civilians in connection with the alleged custodial torture of a police constable at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) Kupwara in 2023.
The arrests came after the Supreme Court ordered an FIR and compensation for the victim, who suffered severe mutilation and life-threatening injuries during illegal detention.
Last month, the Supreme Court quashed the FIR lodged against the victim, awarded him ₹50 lakh compensation, and directed the CBI to hold the accused accountable. The court condemned the brutality, citing medical records from SKIMS Srinagar that confirmed grievous injuries, including complete genital mutilation and multiple fractures.
Those arrested include DySP Aijaz Ahmad Naikoo, Inspector Reyaz Ahmad, and policemen Jehangir Ahmad, Imtiyaz Ahmad, Mohammad Yunis, and Shakir Ahmad, who were posted at the JIC Kupwara during the incident. Two civilians have also been taken into custody.
The constable’s wife alleged that her husband, Khursheed, was illegally detained on February 20, 2023, and subjected to inhuman torture for six days. She claimed police cut off his private parts, inserted iron rods and red pepper, and administered electric shocks. He was later abandoned in a half-dead condition before being shifted to hospital after locals intervened.
The Apex Court directed that the ₹50 lakh compensation be recovered from guilty officers following departmental proceedings. The CBI has been asked to file a status report by November 10, 2025. The court also flagged a “systematic cover-up,” noting that a counter FIR was wrongly filed against the victim instead of investigating the custodial torture. (Agencies)
