Mangaluru : The police have to conduct themselves in such a way during investigation that freedom of speech of a person under inquiry is not curtailed, said Acting Chairperson of the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission Meera Saxsena here on Monday.

Inaugurating a one-day training workshop on “Human rights, gender equality and human trafficking”, Ms. Saxsena said that people are scared of reporting human rights violation to the police as there was fear of victimisation. “Even an illiterate comes to us with audio recording of police officers threatening to book him in false cases and prevent him from speaking his mind. This is a sad development,” she said.

Condemning the use of force by the police during investigation, Ms. Saxsena said, “You beat people in the police station. (If something happens to that person) nobody will come to your rescue,” she said and added that it was a tightrope walk for the police. “You should know how much force to use or not to use. Somebody might be mild and others hard (in using force),” she said.

Ms. Saxsena asked the police to stop the practice of picking up crime suspects for questioning without informing their family members.

Before picking up a person for questioning, the police should inform him about the charge against him. A notice should be served on that person before taking him for investigation. She asked the police not to go to houses in search of suspects in disguise but openly to take them in for inquiry.

Police Commissioner T.R. Suresh and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Hanumantharaya also spoke.