Women’s panel recommends murder chargesagainst IPS Dr Abhishek Pallava for brutality

 

 

IN A significant development, the Chairperson of the Chhattisgarh State Women’s Commission, Dr. Kiran Mayee Nayak, has submitted a detailed investigation report recommending the filing of a murder charge against Superintendent of Police, Dr Abhishek Pallava. This recommendation follows the brutal treatment of 33 women detained in Durg Jail, after a devastating arson incident in Loharidih village, Kawardha district, on September 21, 2024. The report has been submitted to the Chief Justice of India, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, the Governor of Chhattisgarh, and the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court in Bilaspur. The investigation led by Dr Nayak into the conditions faced by the detained women has raised serious questions about the conduct of the police. According to the detailed forensic report, several women were found to have sustained severe injuries as a result of police brutality.

 

Despite obstruction attempts by the prison superintendent, the investigative team was able to gather evidence corroborating the claims of torture and maltreatment. The report calls for immediate medical examinations of all 33 women, along with videographic documentation of their injuries in the presence of a public prosecutor, a tehsildar, and medical officers, including Dr Kirti Bajaj. The Commission’s findings also recommend an identification parade of all male and female police officers who accompanied Dr Pallava to Loharidih, and those involved in the beatings at Durg Jail. This would be a crucial step toward bringing accountability to the police officers responsible for these heinous acts. Further highlighting the gravity of the situation, the report implicates Dr Pallava and his colleagues in the death of Prashant Sahu, a male prisoner who was allegedly subjected to fatal physical assault while in custody. The Commission’s recommendation urges that a murder case be registered against the implicated officers without delay. In an alarming disclosure, it was revealed that during the police raid in Loharidih village, women were unlawfully arrested without search warrants.

 

Doors were forcibly broken, and third-degree methods were employed, leading to grave injuries. The Commission has condemned this flagrant abuse of power, demanding immediate filing of FIRs against all police officers involved in this unlawful operation. The report also makes a pointed recommendation regarding the investigation of SP Pallava’s mobile records. It suggests that all call details from both his official and personal phones be scrutinized between 14th Sept and 20th September to establish his exact whereabouts during the critical days surrounding the Loharidih incident. This recommendation, if acted upon, would ensure that any potential communication between Dr Pallava and individuals from the village would be uncovered, further implicating him in the alleged misconduct. The report calls for his suspension pending the outcome of this investigation. The recommendations of Dr. Nayak’s investigation, which now rest in the hands of judicial and human rights authorities, highlight the need for accountability within law enforcement, especially in the treatment of vulnerable groups such as women detainees. The report, supported by forensic evidence and victim testimony, lays bare a disturbing pattern of human rights violations that demand immediate judicial action.