Warrant comes 9 yrs after Lt. Colonel Pratap Save was killed in police custody.
More than nine years after Lt. Colonel Pratap Save, a decorated soldier, was brutally killed in Valsad police custody, the hopes of getting justice have been revived in his family.
On Thursday, a court in Umargam in Valsad district issued arrest warrants under IPC 302 and 114 against two police officials, who allegedly tortured Save in police custody, causing his death. The police were directed to make the arrests before October 1. One of the police officials is Dr Narendra Amin, the then DySP of Valsad, who is in jail in connection to Sohrabuddin encounter case.
Protests erupted in Umargam in 1999 after the state government, then led by Keshubhai Patel, announced plans to develop a port in Umargam. The locals opposed the project fearing loss of livelihood and ecological damage, and formed Kinara Bachao Samiti, headed by Lt. Colonel Save, to lead protests against the project.
During the protests, Save and 47 other persons were taken into police custody on April 8, 2000. Save was mercilessly beaten up and tortured in custody, resulting in him suffering brain haemorrhage and slipping into coma. An emergency operation was performed on Save, but he could not be saved and passed away on April 20.
This was followed by a complaint of murder against Narendra Amin and PSI J K Jhala by Save’s family. However, the family alleges the investigations were tardy and at snail’s pace.
“Since the accused were police officials, there was an intentional delay by police in the investigations. The guilty officers were not arrested even as the inquiry took four - five years. Due to their political connections, the state government also delayed granting nod to arrest them,” Nikhilesh Save, Lt. Col. Save’s son, told
DNA.
It was only after the aggrieved family approached court that the case was back on track. The court on Thursday issued arrest warrants against Narendra Amin and PSI J K Jhala, which has revived Save family’s hopes of getting justice.
“We had full faith in the judiciary, and are happy that arrest warrants have been issued against the two police officers. We are hoping that there is a fast trial and the culprits get the punishment they deserve,” Save added.
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