The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of reports alleging that a 17-year-old boy was tortured while in police custody at the Gandhigram Police Station in Rajkot on September 1. The Commission has directed Vikas Sahay, Director General of Police, Gujarat, to submit a detailed report within two weeks.
The alleged custodial abuse surfaced on October 6 when a video went viral on social media, showing a man pulling the teenager&rsquo;s hair as uniformed personnel looked on and laughed. In a statement, the NHRC noted that if the media reports were accurate, the incident represented a serious violation of human rights.
The minor had reportedly been detained in connection with a stabbing case that took place a day earlier. He was taken into custody with a few associates and produced before a juvenile court, which remanded him to a correctional facility. He was granted bail nearly two weeks later.
According to police, the man seen in the video has been identified as a sanitation worker at the police station, while the constable accused of filming the video has also been booked. Both face charges under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 198 (wilful disobedience causing injury), and 54 (abetment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 for cruelty against a child.
This is the second reported case of custodial abuse involving a minor in Gujarat within a month. In August, four constables in Botad district were booked for allegedly torturing another teenager.
Activist Mujahid Nafees, who previously raised the Botad case with NHRC, said such incidents are not isolated. &ldquo;There are several such cases in Gujarat, but suo motu interventions remain limited,&rdquo; he said, urging the Commission to appoint a dedicated officer in the state to ensure faster action.

NHRC seeks report on Rajkot minor torture case

Viral video of alleged custodial abuse prompts NHRC to demand a report from Gujarat DGP

NHRC seeks report on Rajkot minor torture case

Viral video of alleged custodial abuse prompts NHRC to demand a report from Gujarat DGP

October 16, 2025 | 18:06 IST