CHENNAI : Nearly seven years after police harassment, a businessman of Sengottai got a verdict in his favour from the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) which on Monday recommended to the State government to provide a compensation of Rs 75,000 and recover the amount from two policemen of Tenkasi. The businessman, Mohammed Nainar, had alleged that he was harassed by inspector N Thiruppathi and head constable A Perumal in the Tankasi station over a civil dispute in 2012.
In a complaint lodged with the Commission, Nainar said he was into real estate business. In 2011, one Salavudeen borrowed Rs 3 lakh from him, promising to pay back within a month. Shahul Hameed, a relative of Nainar, was also present when Salavudeen provided a post-dated cheque for `3 lakh. However, as Salavudeen had not repaid the debt, Nainar deposited the cheque in the Pandian Grama Bank’s Neduvayal Branch. The cheque was returned due to insufficient funds in the account.
Subsequently, a legal notice was issued by Mohammed Nainar to Salavudeen, who, in turn, lodged a criminal complaint against the duo with the Tenkasi police. Inspector Thiruppathi, who summoned Nainar and Shahul Hameed, ordered them to return the cheque issued by Salavudeen and also threatened that if Nainar failed to return the cheque, he would be foisted with criminal cases and sent to jail.
Thiruppathi came to the house of Nainar along with Perumal and got the cheque back along with a blank paper signed by Nainar. Subsequently, alleging that the police had threatened to foist cases on him, Nainar sought action against the inspector and the head constable.
Denying the allegations, the policemen said that a complaint was received from Salavudeen that the cheque was stolen and the issue settled amicably. Considering the documentary and oral evidence, the SHRC, presided over by D Jayachandran, observed that Thiruppathi and Perumal had exceeded their police power and acted in favour of Salavudeen violating human rights.