CHENNAI: The State Human Rights Commission has called for suspension of two police officers after finding them guilty of abusing their power, foisting cases and brutally attacking a whistle-blower in 2013.
The commission has also recommended initiation of disciplinary action against the officers and asked them to pay Rs 3 lakh compensation to the victim.
Manjunathasamy, who runs a photo studio in Keeripatti village in Salem, was arrested on January 12, 2013 by the then Sub-Inspector of Malliakarai police station Veeramuthu for allegedly demanding Rs 3,000 to get a transfer certificate from a local college based on a complaint.
However, D Jayachandran, SHRC member, has found that a false case was filed against Manjunathasamy at the behest of P Natarajan, the then Inspector of Police, Thammampatti Circle, in retaliation for the allegations of corruption that Manjunathaswamy had raised against him.
Based on investigations and evidence submitted, it has also been found that both opposite parties - Veeramuthu and Natarajan - so brutally attacked Manjunathasamy with iron rods and lathis while he was held at Malliakarai police station that he couldn’t walk, before he was taken to the magistrate.
Quoting the Supreme Court order in Arnesh Kumar vs State of Bihar, which directed police to follow parameters laid under section 41 of the CrPc and not to unnecessarily make arrests, Jayachandran observed that Manjunathan was arrested without any valid reason “at the instruction of Natarajan in order to take revenge against him because he sent complaints of corruption and misuse of powers against Natarajan”.
The commission found them guilty of violating human rights of Manjunathan and even recommended initiation of criminal proceedings for their actions.