Officers suspended after youth alleges ‘chilli torture’ in Margherita lock-up
The Superintendent of Police, Tinsukia, has been instructed to complete the inquiry within 48 hours.;
The victim (right), being assisted by his younger brother in the hospital
Bordumsa, May 4: A case of alleged police brutality has emerged from Bordumsa under Margherita subdivision in Assam’s Tinsukia district, where a young man was reportedly subjected to inhumane torture involving the application of bhot jolokia (chilli) on his body by police personnel.
The incident, described by locals as "Talibani punishment," has triggered widespread outrage and public protest.
Following massive public outrage and the gherao of Bordumsa Police Station by angry residents, Assam DGP swiftly intervened.
In a late-night directive, the officers and personnel involved were suspended and closed to Orderly Room (OR). The Officer-in-Charge was also removed from duty, and the Superintendent of Police, Tinsukia, has been instructed to complete the inquiry within 48 hours.
The victim is currently undergoing treatment at Digboi Medical Hospital, and his condition remains serious but stable.
The victim, identified as Sanjeev Maran, was allegedly assaulted by personnel of Bordumsa Police Station following a minor altercation with police during polling on May 2.
According to the family, the police summoned Sanjeev to the station the next day under the pretext of resolving the matter, but instead, he was brutally tortured in custody.
“They stripped my brother and rubbed bhot jolokia on his body. He was beaten for hours, denied food and water, and we, the family, were not even allowed to see him. The officer-in-charge himself was seen asking for the chillies. My brother’s body is covered in wounds and he cannot even walk without assistance,” said Yuvraj Maran, Sanjeev’s younger brother.
Sanjeev, recounting the horror, said, “The Sub-Inspector provoked me while I was waiting in line to vote on May 2. I replied calmly, and nothing happened that day. But the next day, I was called to the police station, taken inside a lockup, stripped, smeared with chilli, and beaten. This feels like a politically motivated act.”
As the Bordumsa region simmers with tension, civil society organisations and human rights groups have condemned the police action, demanding exemplary punishment for those responsible.
The incident has once again brought to light the urgent need for police reform and accountability in custodial conduct.
The inquiry report, expected within two days, will determine the next course of action. Meanwhile, the people of Bordumsa continue their vigil, demanding justice for Maran and an end to custodial violence.