Srinagar, Aug 20: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested six policemen, including two officers, and two civilians in connection with the alleged custodial torture of a police constable at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in Kupwara two years ago.

The arrests came in compliance with Supreme Court directions, which had ordered registration of an FIR and compensation for the victim after condemning the inhumane treatment inflicted on him during his illegal detention.

Those arrested include Deputy Superintendent of Police Aijaz Ahmad Naikoo, Inspector Reyaz Ahmad, and policemen Jehangir Ahmad, Imtiyaz Ahmad, Mohammad Yunis, and Shakir Ahmad, who were posted at the JIC Kupwara at the time of the incident.

The apex court, in its order last month, strongly criticised the brutality, pointing to medical evidence of severe torture, including mutilation of the constable’s genitalia, fractures, lacerations, and electric shocks. It directed the CBI to file an FIR against the accused and ordered the Union Territory administration to pay the victim Rs 50 lakh as compensation.

According to medical records from Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), the victim sustained grievous injuries, including “complete mutilation of genitalia with both testicles removed, laceration on the scrotum, bruises on buttocks, tenderness on palms and feet, multiple vegetative particles in the rectum, and fractures across the body.”

The victim’s wife, in her complaint, alleged that her husband Khursheed was illegally detained on February 20, 2023, and subjected to six days of barbaric torture. She claimed that he was left in a critical state before being shifted to hospital due to pressure from locals. “There is no example of such barbaric torture known in the history of mankind,” she alleged.

On July 21, the Supreme Court quashed a counter-FIR filed against the constable and announced compensation of Rs 50 lakh, which it said would be recoverable from the officers concerned following the CBI probe.

The top court also directed the CBI to submit its status report by November 10, 2025, observing that the case revealed “a disturbing pattern of systematic cover-up and abuse of authority.” It noted that instead of probing the custodial torture, local police had lodged a false case against the victim under Section 309 of the IPC to build a fabricated narrative.