Mumbai News: SHRC Takes Cognizance Of Kandivali Youth’s Assault And Missing Case; Orders Police Inquiry Into Alleged Inaction And Misconduct

Mumbai: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has taken serious note of a complaint alleging police inaction and possible misconduct in a case involving a missing youth from Kandivali East, who was reportedly assaulted in front of police officers and has been untraceable since May 29, 2024.

The Commission has directed the Additional Commissioner of Police (North Mumbai) to conduct a detailed fact-finding inquiry into the case, questioning both the alleged lack of police intervention during the assault and the department’s failure to trace the youth despite a formal missing person’s complaint.

According to the complaint, Ciril Kurush Swaminthan Devendran, was brutally assaulted by 10 to 15 individuals on May 28, 2024, in Poinsur, Kandivali East. Shockingly, the incident occurred in the presence of a police officer from Samtanagar Police Station, as per the complainant’s allegation, which he has proved through a CCTV footage submitted before the commission.

The complainant also alleged that when they attempted to file a complaint at Samtanagar Police Station, the lady police officer on duty refused to take any action. CCTV footage reportedly showed the officer speaking to the youth outside the police station, after which he left. The youth allegedly informed his father that the officer had allegedly threatened him with false charges and jail time if he insisted on registering the case.

A missing person’s complaint was filed at Samtanagar Police Station on June 4, 2024, but till date the police have failed to trace the missing.

Meanwhile, according to the SHRC’s order copy, Smita Patil, DCP Zone 12 submitted a report through PI Sitaram L. Dubal, which denied the allegations and claimed that both parties involved in the altercation — Ciril and one S. Manojkumar — had initially come to the police station and mutually agreed not to file complaints.

However, the SHRC noted that the photographs submitted by the complainant showed serious head injuries on Ciril, thereby questioning the police as to why was no FIR registered in the case despite of a visible evidence of a cognizable offence.

Taking a stringent note of the complaint, the SHRC has directed that the Additional Commissioner of Police (North Mumbai) should be added as a Respondent in the case and further a  detailed fact-finding inquiry is to be conducted by the Additional CP, outlining all efforts made by the police to trace the missing youth. ”The respondent must also explain why no FIR was registered despite credible information of a cognizable offence,” held the Commission.