HC for damages to Tripura torture victim

AGARTALA, March 27: Justice N.S. Singh of the Agartala bench of the Gauhati High Court today issued notices to the state and Union governments, asking why compensation of Rs 15 lakh should not be awarded to five civilians who were tortured by security forces. The non-tribal civilians were physically tortured by Assam Rifles jawans in the name of counter-insurgency operations in Kanchanpur subdivision on May 3 last year. The five non-tribals had been rounded up by Assam Rifles and brutally tortured after being taken to its camps. They sustained serious physical injuries and later filed a writ petition in the Gauhati High Court demanding compensation. Official sources here refused to comment on the issue, saying, "The matter is sub-judice and we will furnish a reply to the learned court."