The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a severe case of alleged custodial violence at Sohna, Gurugram, where police officers reportedly forced a detainee to draw paper slips determining his physical punishment before deliberately fracturing his leg. Emphasising that police custody cannot become a licence for torture, HHRC Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra recommended that the DGP, Haryana, order an independent inquiry led by a senior officer, not below the rank of IGP.

The case came to light following a judicial order on June 30 by Judicial Magistrate First Class Mandeep Singh at Sohna. The accused, Narender—detained under various provisions of the BNS and the Arms Act—was not physically produced in court after his police remand expired. Investigating authorities claimed he had attempted to escape custody and sustained injuries after falling from a flyover. However, during a video conference interaction from the hospital, Narender informed the Magistrate that officers intentionally broke his leg while in custody and threatened his life. Prompted by the gravity of these claims, the Magistrate visited the Civil Hospital in Gurugram after court hours to record Narender’s statement in an atmosphere free from police influence.

According to court records, he alleged that on the evening of June 29 at CIA Police Station, Sohna, officers forced him to pick one of four folded slips labelled “death”, “fracture”, “bullet injury”, and “reward money”. After drawing the slip marked “fracture”, he was blindfolded, his left leg was placed between two bricks, and officers reportedly struck it with a heavy blunt object. He was threatened to tell doctors and the court that he had fallen from a bridge.

Highlighting potential violations of fundamental rights, alongside landmark Supreme Court guidelines in DK Basu v. State of West Bengal, the HHRC has issued strict directives to the authorities. The DGP must submit a comprehensive factual report from an IGP-rank officer detailing the incident, medical board findings, and status of any departmental or criminal proceedings. Furthermore, the Commissioner of Police, Gurugram, has been instructed to preserve and submit all CCTV footage, DVR recordings, and electronic evidence from CIA Police Station, Sohna, covering June 29 and 30, while the Chief Medical Officer must submit the complete medical board report, MLR, X-rays, and treatment records.

All reports must be submitted at least a week prior to the Full Commission hearing scheduled for September 24.