NHRC issues notice to Madhya Pradesh govt after farmers allegedly stripped, thrashed by police

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday issued a notice to Madhya Pradesh government over the allegations of police atrocity against a group of farmers returning from a protest in Tikamgarh.

The Congress party has alleged that the farmers were detained, stripped and beaten up by the police. They were returning from a protest for declaring Tikamgarh as a drought-hit district

The ruling BJP government, however, has rejected the allegations. 

Meanwhile, the state Home Minister Bhupendra Singh has asked Director General of Police to conduct an inquiry and file a report within three days.

He also said that no farmer was beaten up in the police station. "It is a matter of investigation if the farmers took off their clothes themselves or police did so," he said.

Tikamgarh District Collector Abhijeet Agrawal also denied reports of farmers being beaten up at the police station.

Dehat police station in-charge R P Chowdhary said he did not know who asked the farmers to be detained as he was on the field duty.