The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports indicating that mental and physical torture by the officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), during investigation of corruption charges, led Shri Bansal, former Director General, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, his son, wife and daughter to suicide. Expressing its deep anguish and shock over the contents of the suicide notes of Shri Bansal and his son, as reported in the media, the Commission has issued a notice to the Director, CBI to share the copy of suicide notes with it and send an action taken report on the allegations made therein within 72 hours including the names of the delinquent public servants. He has also been asked to give the name of the havaldar/head constable whose name is not mentioned in the suicide notes.
Taking serious view of the alleged illegalities and human rights violation by the CBI, which, for investigations, derives its powers from Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, the Commission has observed that the police is supposed to investigate the offences as per law in a scientific manner by carrying out investigations in a human rights friendly way. They cannot be allowed to resort to physical assault, mental and physical torture of an alleged offender or his family members. It is supposed to be a protector and defender of human rights. Therefore, it fully endorses the reported statement made by Shri B.K. Bansal in the suicide note to the effect that even if he was at fault in the case, why were his wife and daughter pushed to suicide?
Reportedly, the CBI was investigating the charges of corruption against Shri Bansal. Mr. Bansal in his suicide note allegedly said that a DIG, CBI threatened him by saying “Teri wife aur daughter ka wo haal karenge ki sunne wale kaanp jaayenge (such things will be done to your wife and daughter that it will send shivers down the spine of those who hear of it”. The Commission has also noted that the wife and daughter of the Shri Bansal committed suicide on the 19th July, 2015, just three days after he was arrested by CBI. The suicide note indicates names of DIG, who ordered two lady officers for torturing his wife and daughter, who slapped, abused and scratched them with nails after which both of them had, allegedly, committed suicide.
Allegedly, the suicide note also stated that death of his wife and daughter was not a suicide and the Director of CBI should initiate an inquiry against his officers as it was “simply” a case of murder. “They abused, thrashed and mentally tortured my family constantly. They threatened me after saying that will ruin the life of my family who will be subjected to such torture that they will ask for death but will not get it.”
Shri Bansal also alleged that his wife and daughter had shared the details of “torture” with friends and neighbours before taking their lives. “Even if I was at fault in the case, why were my wife and daughter pushed to suicide? Someone should conduct a lie-detector test on all of them to know the truth.”
His son Yogesh in his suicide note claimed he was “unofficially” subjected to “mental and physical” torture to that extent that he was forced to take such an extreme step. “All the five CBI officials, including the DIG, had unofficially and off-the-record tortured me, my mother and my sister.”
National Human Rights Commission
