In a chilling reminder of the excesses of unchecked policing, a young man from Mohong village now battles pain and trauma from his hospital bed—his body marked with injuries allegedly inflicted by those entrusted to uphold the law.
Sanjeev Moran (26) became the victim of what appears to be a horrifying case of custodial torture at Bordumsa Police Station in Assam’s Tinsukia district. The alleged assault, which occurred a day after the Panchayat elections on May 2, has since sparked widespread outrage, mass protests, and a wave of condemnation across the region.
The Incident
According to the victim's harrowing account, trouble began when he went to cast his vote on election day. After a brief altercation with a police officer over queue discipline, Moran claims he returned home, unaware that the encounter would escalate into a nightmarish ordeal. The next day, he was summoned to the police station, reportedly by Officer-in-Charge SI Biswajit Saharia and others.
What followed, he alleges, was nothing short of barbaric. Stripped, confined, and beaten mercilessly with sticks, Moran says he was also subjected to the use of chilli paste on his wounds and private parts—a method of torture that is internationally condemned as inhumane. He names Sub-Inspectors Rajib Deka and Jayanta Kalita, along with six commandos, as participants in the assault.
“I begged them to stop,” Moran recounted through tears from his hospital bed at Margherita Civil Hospital. “They said nothing, just kept beating me. They rubbed chilli all over my body. I thought I would die.”
Public Outcry and Police Action
News of the assault quickly spread through Mohong and surrounding villages, igniting public fury. Hundreds of residents gathered outside the police station, demanding the arrest of the officers involved and swift justice for Moran. Civil society groups, students’ unions, and local leaders have called the incident a shameful breach of trust, warning that mere suspensions are insufficient.
Under mounting pressure, the Tinsukia police moved to suspend five personnel, including SIs Deka and Kalita, and constables Bishal Jyoti Basudev Boro, Bhaiti Das, and Rajib Deka. Officer-in-Charge SI Biswajit Saharia has been transferred and closed to reserve lines, a procedural step pending internal investigation.
The Director General of Police (DGP), Assam, confirmed the disciplinary action on social media and announced that a high-level inquiry has been launched. Tinsukia Superintendent of Police, Dinesh Pratap Singh Rathore, has tasked the SDPO, Margherita, with submitting a report within 48 hours.
A Larger Question of Accountability
While officials have promised a probe, rights activists say this cannot end with internal transfers and token suspensions. “This is not just a violation of protocol. It’s a crime under law,” said a member of a local rights group. “These officers must be booked under IPC sections for custodial torture. Suspension is not justice—it’s delay.”
The incident casts a harsh spotlight on India’s systemic problem of custodial violence. Despite constitutional safeguards and a well-established body of human rights law, abuse in custody remains a dark stain on Indian policing. Data from the National Campaign Against Torture notes over 1,700 deaths in police custody between 2000 and 2020—with very few convictions.
Not Just One Victim
What happened to Sanjeev Moran is not an aberration. It is a symptom of structural impunity, where accountability is deflected and the law often protects its enforcers rather than the citizen. Moran’s scars—still visible—are a reminder that unchecked power in a uniform can turn into a weapon against the very people it is meant to protect.
As Assam reels under the weight of this incident, the state must decide: Will it continue to tolerate medieval brutality under the guise of policing, or finally confront the rot within?
For Sanjeev Moran, justice is no longer a demand. It is a necessity, if faith in the rule of law is to be preserved.
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