The National Commission for Scheduled Castes on Monday ordered the Haryana Government to pay a compensation of Rs 20 lakh besides providing a Government job to the next of kin of a Dalit youth who died in police custody in Ambala two weeks ago.
Raj Kumar Verka, commission vice chairman on Monday also summoned the Haryana director general of police and chief secretary to appear before him. Talking to media, Verka said that senior police officials should also be questioned besides junior officials, for this custodial death. “Ram Kumar was murdered in custody”, alleged Verka. The Dalit youth, Ram Kumar, 23, was detained by police in Ambala along with another youth Vikram on Oct 14 on charges of theft. Kumar’s body was later found on the railway tracks with handcuffs still on.
The second youth, Vikram, who became witness of this case, told the media that Satbir Singh Hooda, in charge of police post number-2, in Ambala city, had arrested him and deceased Ram Kumar without any reason and later Kumar was pushed before a running train by policemen He alleged that the policemen had kept them in custody illegally and instigated them to escape.