A 48-year-old differently abled man and his son were allegedly assaulted by police officials inside Irilbung police station on March 14 for refusing to withdraw a forgery complaint filed at the police station.
According to sources, after the forgery complaint was lodged at the police station, the investigating officer of the case on March 14 summoned the complainant Abdul Hakim, who has 85 per cent permanent disability of both his hands and limbs (as per the disability certificate).
Hakim narrated the incident before the media at Manipur Press Club, Imphal on Thursday.
“As I refused to withdraw the case, the investigating officer Md Hantif Shah and 2nd OC of the police station Th Bungbung started assaulting me by kicking off my chair and hitting me and my son with canes,” he alleged.
Following the incident, Hakim was rushed to JNIMS for treatment.
The bruise marks on his shoulders and hands as a result of the alleged assault were displayed before the media.
On March 15, a formal complaint was also lodged to the DGP and the SP, Imphal East for legal action against the two police officers on grounds of allegedly manhandling a person with disability and taking bribe from the opponent party.
Advisor of Disable Development Association (DDA) Kiran Yendrenbam who accompanied the victim, said as per the Right to Persons with Disability Act 2006, the complainant should have been given protection and free legal services. However, the police completely violated the Act, he added.
“Such misuse of power by police to a handicapped portrays the double standards of the law enforcing agency and discrimination towards the weaker sections,” he said.
DDA general secretary Md Yunus Khan said it is unfortunate that police personnel who are supposed to safeguard the public are laying their hands on a layman who is also differently abled.
Demanding justice against such harassment to a differently abled person, he appealed to the state government to initiate stringent action against the two police officers for their criminal acts.
