Dalit activist, co-accused in Nodeep Kaur's case, has two fractures, other injuries, finds medical report

Chandigarh: A medical examination of a co-accused with Nodeep Kaur in a criminal case conducted by Chandigarh-based Government Medical College and Hospital has found two fractures on his hand and foot and some broken nail beds on his toe. Shiv Kumar, president of Majdoor Adhikar Sanghathan, was held a few days after the arrest of labour rights activist Kaur. Kaur was arrested for allegedly gheraoing an industrial unit and demanding money from the company in Haryana’s Sonipat on 12 January. Kumar is a co-accused with Nodeep Kaur in a criminal case registered by Sonipat police. The Punjab and Haryana High Court on 19 February had directed Superintendent, Sonipat Jail to get the medical examination of Kumar conducted by the GMCH after Kumar’s father alleged that his son was brutally tortured by the Sonipat Police. According to a GMCH medical report submitted in the high court on Wednesday,“All the injuries were more than two weeks old and were caused by blunt object/weapon.” “There is a fracture distal phalanx of the second digit of left hand. Fracture of base of 5th metatarsal bone of right foot,” according to the report. Among injuries, four of the injuries were simple in nature and two were of grievous nature, as per the report. “Right foot swelling present and tender to touch. Swelling and tenderness on left foot. Nail beds of right 2nd and 3rd toe are broken and underlying skin in reddish in colour and showing healing changes. Left big toe shows blackish discolouration. Nails of left thumb and index finger shows bluish black discoloration with tenderness,” the report says. According to a psychiatric evaluation of the Dalit activist, he appeared sad and distressed with occasional crying spells. “He expressed preoccupation with his current situation, reported predominant anxiety symptoms, flashbacks of brutality meted out to him, nightmares, feeling of loneliness, uncertainty about future,” it said. “Overall, evaluation is suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder like symptoms,” as per the report. According to 24-year-old Kumar, who provided information about his case to the five-member medical board of GMCH formed for his medical examination, he was picked up on 16 January from a protest site at Kundli and was taken to old Kacheri, Sonipat where the CI (police) staff assaulted him. “They tied both his feet, lay him on the ground and hit him on the soles. His 2nd, 3rd and 5thtoe nails of the right foot were torn and nail of big toe of left foot became blue. They also hit him on the buttocks with flat sticks. Then they tied his hands and stretched his legs. He was made to lie on the ground with both legs straight and a metal pipe was placed on his thigh and rolled over the thighs by two people. They also hit him on both hands and palms and also on the back of his head. He was not allowed to sleep for three days,” he alleged. “The CI staff took his statement and asked him to give names and when he could not do so, they tied him to a chair and poured water to his head. He was mentally and physically abused in the police remand and they also poured hot water on his feet and any blisters that formed were burst by them,” Kumar further alleged.