Rights panel sends notice to Goa government, SP after ‘littering’ video row

The 22-year-old third-year undergraduate was summoned to a police station in North Goa on June 4 for allegedly littering near a roadside. (File photo)The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) Wednesday took suo-moto cognisance in the case of suicide of a 22-year-old college student in Goa last week. The Commission has issued notices to the chief secretary, Goa government; secretary, Home Department; Superintendent of Police (SP) North and police inspector of the police station where the incident was reported, asking them to appear before the Commission and file a report on June 17. The 22-year-old third-year undergraduate was summoned to a police station in North Goa on June 4 for allegedly littering near a roadside, after a video of the incident went viral. The police booked the youth under section 271 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the BNS, 2023, and section 8 (1) of The Goa Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 1996, based on a suo motu complaint by a sub-inspector. The complaint stated that the youth “knowingly, negligently and unlawfully littered a public place by throwing garbage on the roadside, thereby creating nuisance, annoyance and health hazard to the public and endangering public safety and sanitation”.After about seven hours at the police station, the 22-year-old returned home Thursday night. As his phone buzzed with messages and abuse over the viral video, he appeared distressed, according to his family. A few hours later around midnight, he died by suicide. Police said the preliminary probe found that he shot himself with an airgun from close range and was declared dead on arrival at the district hospital. The post-mortem report states that the cause of death is due to “cervico-cranio cerebral damage due to discharged firearm projectile/gunshot injury.” It mentions a second injury in the eye, “with an underlying fracture of orbital bone.” The report states that the gunshot injury was “necessarily fatal and was fresh at the time of death” and the second injury was of “grievous type caused by blunt force impact” and “was within 24 hours of duration prior to death.” In an order Wednesday, the Commission, citing media reports, said the post-mortem report “confirmed that the cause of death was a fatal close-range gunshot wound to the head.” “It also reportedly revealed that the deceased had sustained a serious injury to his eye,” it said. The Commission, citing local newspaper reports, said that it has been reported that the injury to his eye was “allegedly ante-mortem” and “probably caused due to alleged assault on him in the police station when he was detained.” “This allegation…is of a serious concern and found to be violating human rights, as the suspect needs to be treated humanely while conducting inquiry and more probably in the police station,” the Commission said On June 6, the student’s family lodged a complaint with SP north, demanding registration of FIR for alleged abetment against the person who recorded the viral video and suspension of police officials from the local police station for alleged harassment.Story continues below this ad Last week, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered an inquiry into the incident. A senior police officer, who is conducting the inquiry, recorded the statements of the concerned police officials earlier this week to establish the sequence of events and circumstances leading to the suicide. As part of the inquiry, the officer has also sought CCTV footage of the police station premises on the day of the incident. Pavneet Singh Chadha is the Goa Correspondent of The Indian Express. His reporting focuses intensely on the state of Goa, covering major developments in politics, governance, and significant local events, which establishes his high degree of Expertise and Authority in the region. Expertise Geographic Expertise: As the Goa correspondent, Pavneet provides on-the-ground, compr