Republic moves NHRC against the torture of its Asst. VP Ghanshyam Singh in police custody

Republic Media Network has moved National Human Rights Commission following spine-chilling ordeal of torture, cruelty, and psychological pressure that was inflicted and exerted on Republic Media Network’s Assistant Vice-president of Distribution Mr. Ghanshyam Singh. Network believes in due process, and in cooperation with an investigation, however,  it will neir tolerate r keep silent on Mumbai Police inflicting atrocities upon its employees. In light of same, a full complaint has been registered with human rights body and Network will fight at every forum to ensure that justice prevails in its entirety. 
 
Mr. Ghanshyam Singh was arbitrarily picked up on morning of 10 vember, 2020 by Crime Branch of Mumbai Police on false allegations in ongoing TRP case. FIR in TRP case neir named him, his affiliates r Republic Media Network and yet Ghanshyam Singh languished in jail for 26 days. His arrest came despite fact that he h fully cooperated in probe and h appeared before Mumbai police on 9 October 2020, 11 October 2020, 20 October 2020 and 21 October 2020 for purpose of interrogation, which spanned long hours. 

Shockingly, on second day of his custody Ghanshyam was given open threats of physical harm if he did t self-incriminate and incriminate his organisation ARG Outlier Pvt Limited. In fact, Police Officer handling interrogation apart from assaulting Ghanshyam, did everything to try and intimidate him into implicating himself and his organisation without any valid basis. In garb of an investigation, a cruel plot to physically and mentally torture a citizen of India played out within walls of custody. 

Horrifically, Mr. Ghanshyam Singh was subject to extreme mental cruelty during his time in custody. When he refused to comply to pre-meditated script of law and order officers and maintained his true position that he give hard cash to any individuals that police was making claims about, one police officer told him in custody - “humare pass doosrae raaste bhi hain… half hour later you will say… 10 days later you will”. It is clear Mumbai Police was trying to psychologically torture an incent man. 

Furr, after maintaining his true statement that he didn’t even kw individuals Mumbai Police was insisting on linking him to, Mr. Ghanshyam Singh was taken into a room len with a tool to torture and one inspector of police force began saying “…inko maaro maro maro” following which, he was brutally and barbarically whipped with a chakki belt that was kept in room. In what was a spine-chilling ordeal he was told “…haath a karo”, and was forced to extend his hand, which was n lashed by a thick injury-inflicting chakki belt multiple times on both hands.  He was put through systematic physical torutre that is against all principles of human rights and a murderous blow to due process. 
 
Even as he cried and wrid in pain while police officer was lashing him, y did t stop and kept agony and assault going. All officers present were witness to his assault in custody and were partakers and bystanders to crime, as directed to be committed by senior police officer present. Police Officer was saying “…Abhi bhi nahin bologe toh humare pass aur bhi raaste hain”. This fully establishes criminal and mala-fide intent of crime branch and also establishes tortuous, harsh, desperate and physically abusive methods police exercised against him, right from start of police custody. very fact that room of torture was prepared prior with torture tool conclusively establishes premeditated nature of crime that was plotted by all crime branch officers involved in investigation. As importantly, very fact that a senior police officer personally gave instructions for physical torture establishes that sanction for human rights abuse was given by senior officers of crime branch.

re is t a shred of doubt that Mumbai Police acted in an abusive, malafide and motivated manner during Mr. Ghanshyam’s custody. Apart from physical torture inflicted upon him, in a brazen violation of human rights and in an assault on right to a fair trail, Mr. Ghanshyam Singh was constantly psychologically tormented to self-implicate and incriminate his organisation in a prejudged case despite being incent. police officers repeatedly tried to coerce him to make false statements by saying his organization would t be able to do anything for him, he was told  “…tum toh phass gaya” and fed grave mistruths such as “…tumhara passport nahin milega”. It is clear an incent man who refused to lie h to face cruel mental games and a psychological attack by Mumbai Police. 

Despite narrating true facts repeatedly,   officers of Crime Branch on multiple occasions didn’t even allow Ghanshyam to re his own statements and me him forcefully sign m. This reveals a horrendous overreach by Mumbai Police and a complete trampling of due process in custody. This was an utter abuse of power by police officers, and patently unconstitutional. 

Ghanshyam’s personal dignity was shred to smireens as he was pared like a terrorist with his face covered in a black cloth as he was taken to court and it was justified to him saying that his identity should t be revealed to media and that he h to cover his face for that purpose— this for a man whose name or whose organisation’s name isn’t even in an FIR. Mumbai Police Crime Branch’s campaign to rip Ghanshyam off basic human rights and human dignity is well established and serves as a terrifying example of avatar a malicious state machinery can take against an incent citizen. 

re was a torturous attempt to intimidate Mr. Ghanshyam Singh with threat of an excessive use of police force by state government in Maharashtra on multiple occasions. He was beaten, he was tortured mentally and physically and state machinery meant to protect him turned into his worst tormentor. Because he wouldn’t lie and conconct facts, he was put through extreme physical and mental cruelty. 

In democratic Republic of India, every citizen has right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of Constitution of India and in state of Maharashtra every constitutionality is being shred apart by a malicious machinery working day and night to try and fix and frame Republic in fake cases.  

Republic Media Network vows to fight till complete justice prevails in every court and forum. In furrance of this fight, we have approached NHRC and believe that justice will be done. 

We appeal to like-minded citizens to speak up against gross injustice being meted out to a news media organisation that refuses to become a pliable tool of Maharashtra government or compromise on its core principles of nation first. 

While we are undaunted despite such attempts of torture by Mumbai Police and state machinery in state of Maharashtra, we will continue to comply with due process of law. Our fight for truth is unshakeable and our resolve to pursue it remains unbreakable.