§ Mr. MACKARNESSasked the Under-Secretary whether he has any official information showing that the inquiry held by the Punjab Government into the charges against the police of torturing one Ghulam Mohammed by racking him, contained in Mr. Dundas' judgment at Rawul Pindi, was an inquiry held in 351 secret by police officials; whether he can say if any of the police implicated were put upon their oaths and submitted to cross-examination; and whether these policemen are still in the service of the Government?
The MASTER of ELIBANKThe reports received by the Secretary of State do not show in detail the manner in which the enquiry was conducted by the Lieutenant-Governor, but they show that the evidence on which his conclusions were based included the report of the civil surgeon who examined the prisoner immediately after he made his complaint, and the opinion expressed by the district magistrate of Rawul Pindi after making independent enquiries. The Secretary of State is unable, on the information received, to answer the last two questions, but since the Lieutenant-Governor found the police concerned to be free from blame they are presumably still in the service.
§ Mr. MACKARNESSMay I ask that when a judge has found by his own ocular testimony that there was torture, the question should not be disposed of toy a secret police tribunal?
The MASTER of ELIBANKThe Secretary of State is quite satisfied with the statement of the Executive Government.
§ Mr. MACKARNESSIs the Secretary of State satisfied that in future where cases of torture are found by the judicial tribunal to have been practised, that the matter should be disposed of in secret by.an inquiry held by the police themselves?