RAMANATHAPURAM: In a suspected case of custodial torture leading to death, a 28-year-old man died just hours after picked up by a police team in connection with a robbery cases in Ramanathapuram district on Sunday.
The victim K Sheik Alauddin, 28, a resident of Mayakarai near Keezhakarai, was reportedly picked up by a police team from the Erwadi police station on Sunday in connection with a robbery case. Two others were also arrested along with him. According to police, Alauddin was trying to escape from the vehicle when he fell down near Thoni bridge near Keezhakarai.
While a few sources said the police team still took him to the police station, where he was assaulted, the police sources contradicted saying that he was taken to hospital to treat the injury he suffered in the fall. But he died in the hospital. However, relatives of Alauddin told to reporters that he was missing for last three days, suggesting that police picked up him much early and were harassing him for all these days. Only to cover up it, the police are claiming that Alauddin tried to escape, the relatives alleged.
Reacting to the issue, the district Superintendent of Police N Manivannan said the investigations are on to find out the reasons behind the death. The Ramanathapuram district witnessed severe protests in October 2014 when a youth K Syed Mohammed was shot death by a police sub-inspector in the SP Pattinam police station.