Ahmedabad: Police inspector B T Gohil on Thursday once again tendered an unconditional apology before Gujarat High Court, expressing deep remorse over the custodial torture and public parading of an accused in Rajkot in 2016.When the HC asked whether Gohil had been involved in any similar incident since 2016, his counsel, after consulting him in the courtroom, submitted that there had been no such incident in his 14-year career. The counsel also cited appreciations Gohil had received during his service.However, a contempt of court application was filed against Gohil and eight other policemen on Thursday morning, alleging that six persons who went to Dhandhuka police station to lodge a complaint on Oct 10 were beaten up and paraded on public streets with their hands tied with ropes. The HC has permitted an urgent hearing on Friday.In the 2016 case, Gohil and four other policemen were charged with contempt of court over the custodial torture and public parading of Ajay Kumbharwadiya at Pradhyuman Nagar police station in Rajkot. Kumbharwadiya was allegedly forced to consume liquor in custody, following which an FIR was registered against him under the Prohibition Act.All the accused policemen tendered unconditional apologies and offered compensation to the victim, assuring the court that such incidents would not recur.Justice N S Sanjay Gowda, part of the division bench, observed, “We are trying to balance the situation. His (Kumbharwadya’s) dignity is lost once you took him to street and did all that. And if we just accept your apology, his humiliation will not go away. To a certain extent, financial compensation could reduce that humiliation, but will that be sufficient given the fact this kind of things go on again and again and again.”Kumbharwadiya’s counsel, I H Syed, urged the court to reject the apology, citing the Dhandhuka incident. He also referred to an alleged incident a few months ago when Gohil, then posted as Sanand police inspector, allegedly tied a man to a tree and brutally assaulted him. Photographs of both incidents were presented before the court.“When the court inquired in his presence whether any such incident was reported subsequently, he said no. Is this how apologies are to be given?” Syed submitted.The HC asked Gohil’s counsel whether the allegations were true.“It does not give us any pleasure…We don’t like the police to give financial benefits despite the incident. But we are being forced to do this because of your conduct. We know how it looks in society where the police is paying compensation to alleged wrongdoers. But if this is a repeated practice then what is it that we can do?” Justice Sanjay Gowda said.The court added, “If they can assume this is the way they do policing, then as it seems that they are not spotless and if we act and this is going to make things worse. Looking into their (criminal) case is one thing, but looking at the humiliation that they undergo is equally important. They are the ones who need protection, and not you (the police).”
