‘Police Locked Us Up, Hit Us With Sticks’ Alleges Srinagar Minor

On 28 October, three minor boys were taken into police custody on the suspicion of pelting stones in Srinagar.

Three minors locked up in Srinagar 

(Photo: The Quint/Shruti Mathur)

Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam

Three minor boys aged between 10-11 were taken into police custody on the suspicion of pelting stones in Srinagar’s Soura on 28 October 2019. The boys allege they were locked up for two days and were subjected to police brutality.

The Quint got in touch with one of the detained minors and his family to learn the series of events that transpired.

“First, they held us and pushed us into a Rakshak (police vehicle). We had kept our gates closed, but the SHO came and hit us really badly. After that, they put us in the Rakshak (police vehicle) and hit us even further. They even thrashed us with sticks. Then we went to the police station, they kept us in the lockup for 2 days. There were two more boys. I have no idea where they are. They gave us no food nothing.”

Detained Minor

The relatives of the minor believe that this is “illegal detention” as the police had no evidence to back their claim.

“He had gone for tuition, there the SHO held him took him away along with two other boys and kept him in lockup for the night. He is such a small boy! He is all of 10 years old. There is absolutely nothing in the house, we are living in isolation. The child went out and they held him.”

Kin of one of the minors

Another relative describes how the police “tortured” the mothers of the children they had held.

“We thought he gone to his grand parents’ house. His grandparents’ house is very close. His grandparents thought he is at home. After lunch he said he will step out and play. He went till the nearby market, there the SHO had held a few other boys. There the SHO held him and took him to the police station. We went to the police station along with his mother. We asked them to forgive us. We said even if it is our child’s fault, we beg you to forgive us. But they tortured us so much especially the mothers of the children they had held. They said they are not your kids, they are b*******. They said we will give you your kids back if you give us his father or give us his papers or give us his uncle. We asked what have these little kids even done!”

Kin of one of the minors

When The Quint reached out to the SHO of the police station, he refused to comment on the matter.