Court orders medical test of Haryana farm activist Navdeep Singh after mother alleged torture

Tribune News Service

Ambala, April 4

The court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Chinar Baghla, today ordered a medical examination of a farm activist, Navdeep Singh, who was arrested by the Ambala police last month after his mother alleged that he was subjected to third-degree torture during police custody.

Navdeep’s advocate, Rohit Jain, had moved an application in which Navdeep’s mother, Narinder Kaur, sought direction from the Superintendent of Ambala Central Jail and Chief Medical Officer of the district to conduct a medical exam of Navdeep Singh.

The petitioner demanded non-invasive investigations such as X-rays for any bone damage, degenerate inflammatory changes, ultrasound, and MRI for diagnosing soft tissue injuries to Navdeep.

Navdeep had been participating in the ongoing farmers’ agitation at the Shambhu border.

In a petition on Thursday, Narinder Kaur told the court that she met Navdeep at the Ambala Central Jail on Wednesday, adding that he told her that during police custody, he was subjected to inhumane behaviour and extreme physical torture. “Navdeep was produced for medical examination before the doctors at the Ambala Civil Hospital; however, he was not allowed to show the injuries to the examining doctors, and the medical was merely a formality,” said Narinder Kaur.

The court’s order read, “In the interest of justice and for the protection of fundamental and human rights, the application in hand stands allowed with a direction to the CMO, Ambala Civil Hospital, to conduct the medical examination of Navdeep Singh by constituting a board of doctors consisting of three members immediately. The Jail Superintendent is also directed to take the accused to the Ambala City CMO for his medical examination and confine him back to jail as soon as his medical investigation is completed.”

Advocate Rohit Jain said, “Following the orders, Navdeep was taken for medical examination, and we are waiting for the reports. The facility for MRI was not available at the hospital, and we will move another application before the court for MRI at another facility.”

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