The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a severe case of alleged custodial violence in Sohna, Gurugram, where police officers reportedly forced a detainee to draw paper slips determining his physical punishment before deliberately fracturing his leg.Emphasising that police custody cannot become a licence for torture, HHRC Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra recommended that the Director General of Police (DGP), Haryana, order an independent inquiry led by a senior officer not below the rank of Inspector General of Police (IGP).The case came to light following a judicial order passed on June 30, 2026, by Judicial Magistrate First Class Mandeep Singh in Sohna. The accused, Narender — detained under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act — was not physically produced in court after his police remand expired. Investigating authorities claimed Narender had attempted to escape custody and sustained injuries after falling from a flyover. However, during a video conference interaction from the hospital, Narender informed the Magistrate that officers intentionally broke his leg while in custody and threatened his life. Prompted by the gravity of these claims, the Magistrate personally visited the Civil Hospital in Gurugram after court hours to record Narender’s statement in an atmosphere free from police influence.According to court records, Narender alleged that on the evening of June 29 at CIA Police Station, Sohna, officers forced him to pick one of four folded slips labelled “Death”, “Fracture”, “Bullet Injury”, and “Reward Money”.After drawing the slip marked “Fracture”, he was blindfolded, his left leg was placed between two bricks, and officers struck it with a heavy blunt object. He was then instructed under threat of death to tell doctors and the court that he had fallen from a bridge.Highlighting potential violations of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 20(3), 21, and 22 of the Constitution, alongside landmark Supreme Court guidelines in DK Basu vs State of West Bengal, the HHRC has issued strict directives to the authorities. “The DGP of Haryana must submit a comprehensive factual report from an IGP-rank officer detailing the incident, medical board findings, and status of any departmental or criminal proceedings,” as per the directives. Furthermore, the Commissioner of Police, Gurugram, has been instructed to preserve and submit all CCTV footage, DVR recordings, and electronic evidence from CIA Police Station, Sohna, covering June 29 and 30, while the Chief Medical Officer must submit the complete Medical Board report, MLR, X-rays, and treatment records. It has been directed that all reports should be submitted at least one week prior to the Full Commission hearing scheduled for September 24, 2026.