On March 20, 2023, a tribal youth named Kheem Singh (23) was reportedly beaten to death by four policemen and forest officials at Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. According to one Dharmendra Singh, the complainant and the employer of the deceased, they were on their way to Munsiyari when the four persons stopped their vehicle and started harassing them. They started abusing the driver and beating him. They were in an intoxicated state and physically assaulted him. As a result of assault, Kheem Singh died on the spot. He was taken to a nearby community health centre where doctors declared him dead. In order to save their skin, the police have alleged that they stopped Dharmendra Singh’s vehicle after they were informed about timber smuggling. As per reports, the accused have been identified as Trilok Singh Rana, Ramesh Rana (forest officials), Sunil Kumar, and Manoj Bhatt (policemen) against whom a case has been registered. Torture to death of a tribal man by public servants is heinous crime and serious human rights violation.
The IRAC sought the immediate intervention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).