NHRC issue notice to UP DGP over ‘police harassment’ leading to suicide of brothers

AGRA: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued a notice to the police chief of Uttar Pradesh over suicide by two brothers due to alleged atrocity by Hathras police personnel.
“The police are supposed to protect the people from any atrocity but in this case, it appears that they became the perpetrators which is a matter of concern,” NHRC observed.
The NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report carried on June 25 that "two brothers of Agra committed suicide within three days due to alleged harassment by police personnel of Sadabad police station in Hathras", the human rights panel said in a statement. Reportedly, a suicide note in this regard has been left by one of the brothers, it said.

The Commission has issued a notice to DGP UP calling for a detailed report within one week. “It should also include the status of the FIR registered in the matter, action taken against the responsible officials, and relief if any, provided to the next of kin of the deceased persons,” mention the NHRC statement.

Fed up with alleged harassment by Hathras police, two brothers from Agra district had ended their lives within two days. Pramod Singh, 50, was found hanging from a tree in a field outside the village, a suicide note tied to his hand on Monday, barely 48 hours after his younger brother Sanjay Singh, 45, killed himself in a similar way on Saturday. The brothers' family had accused two policemen of custodial torture and extortion.
Following orders of the CM Yogi Adityanath, Agra police arrested and jailed Sadabad SI Hariom Agnihotri from Hathras while raids continued to locate SHO inspector Mukesh Kumar.