The NHRC has issued notice to Uttar Pradesh Police over the alleged torture of an under-trial prisoner after he refused to bribe the jailor in the states’ Mahoba district, a statement said Friday.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) panel took suo motu cognizance of a media report published Sep 22, 2014, alleging that the Dalit undertrial was branded with a hot iron rod, brutally beaten with a whip and thrown out of the jail premises in a semi-conscious condition by the jailor.

“The reason behind the assault was that the victim, instead of paying a bribe of Rs.5,000 on the day of his release Sep 20, asked the jailor to deduct the money from the Rs.10,000 he earned for doing labour while in jail,” the NHRC said.

“The contents of the report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the undertrial prisoner,” it added.

The NHRC has asked the director general of prisons of Uttar Pradesh and superintendent of police of Mahoba district to submit a report within two weeks.

According to the NHRC, the victim is recovering in a hospital.