Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Under-Secretary of State for India how many people have been tortured to death by the police in India or have died within a month of being tortured by the police since the 1st January, 1906; and how many members of the police force have been convicted of murder in connection with these deaths? If the hon. Gentleman cannot give me the exact information, perhaps he will give it as nearly as possible?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Montagu)No doubt unintentionally the terms of this question differ in detail from those of the question put by my hon. Friend on the 31st October and the 14th of November and postponed in order that inquiry might be made of the Government of India. I am now in possession of the information then asked for, and trust that it will meet the purpose of my hon. Friend. During the last six years there have been in the whole of British India fifty-seven cases in which policemen were convicted of ill-treating prisoners or witnesses. In six cases the ill-treatment occurred while the prisoners wore remitted to police custody. In seventeen cases death ensued. The Government of India are consulting the local governments and the highest judicial authorities on the questions of the remission of prisoners to police custody and the admission as evidence of confessions made before trial.
§ Mr. MONTAGUI do not think there has been any conviction for murder. If the hon. Member will put down a question I will make inquiry.
§ Mr. MONTAGUPerhaps the hon. Member will also put a question down on that point.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked with I regard to the recent conviction of a policeman 1207 and a lamberdar by the Sessions judge of Ferozepur of torturing a prisoner called Chetu, against whom there was no evidence, so severely that he either died of the injuries or committed suicide to escape further torture, whether the compensation offered by the Court to the dependents of Chetu was a sum equivalent to about £6 9s. to his mother and about £6 6s. to his young widow, this compensation to be conditional upon the fines imposed upon the convicted torturers being realised; and whether the Indian Government proposes to pay, without delay, further compensation to the dependents of this man who was done to death by its own agents?
§ Mr. MONTAGUI have telegraphed to the Government of India for the information asked for, but have not yet received their reply.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWill the Government, in view of the verdict, undertake to be responsible for seeing that proper compensation is paid to the dependents of the murdered man?
§ Mr. MONTAGUIt is difficult for me to make any statement. If the hon. Member will put down the question I will ask the Government of India, and on receipt of their answer will give him a reply.