Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

5 police officials summoned for `rights violations'

By K.T.Sangameswaran

CHENNAI Sept. 3. The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has issued summons to five police officials, including a DSP, for their appearance on September 17, on a complaint from a Kovilpatti businessman alleging human rights violations.

In his petition, the complainant, K.Govindaraj, an ex-serviceman, said the ill-treatment he suffered at the hands of the police for no fault of his, should not befall anyone. Besides pleading for action against the officials, he prayed that the police should not torture him in future.

After retiring from defence service in 1996, Mr. Govindaraj was running readymade garments business.

In October last, he was at Chennai Central to take a train, en route to Surat, in connection with his business, when police checked passengers and their baggage. While checking his baggage, the police became suspicious and said the money he was having was ``stolen amount''. He showed his identity card, but the police took him to the Chennai Central railway police station, made him remove his clothes, except the briefs, chained him and interrogated him. His pleadings that he was not a thief fell on deaf ears. He was beaten up and hung upside down. The torture continued for three days.

The complainant said the police told him that six cases had remained undetected.

Further, the railway police higher-ups brought pressure on them to detect one particular case soon. He was asked to plead guilty to the offences, but he refused to do so. Later, his money, gold chain, bracelet, wedding ring and cellphone were taken away by the police.

After a fortnight, he was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. The police told him not to tell the court about the treatment meted out to him. The magistrate also did not ask him any question.

After his release on bail, a warrant was served on him and he was taken to Coimbatore and remanded to custody in another railway police case.

He was later released on conditional bail. Since he was not able to carry on his business, the families of his 30 employees suffered.

Not satisfied with the report of the DIG (Railways), the Commission Member, S.Sambandham, ordered an inquiry by the DSP, SHRC, L.Purushothaman.

On the basis of his report, the Commission summoned G.Balakrishnan, DSP, Udayakumar, inspector, T.R.Venkatesan, sub-inspector, K.Kayambu, sub-inspector and P.Natarajan, special sub-inspector.

In another petition, Mr.Govindaraj submitted that when the inquiry by the Commission was on, two persons, who identified themselves as police personnel, threatened him.

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