TIRUNELVELI: State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) member V Kannadasan on Friday conducted the final hearing on multiple cases of alleged police atrocities, including the sexual harassment of a woman from Kanniyakumari, the custodial torture of a Thoothukudi man who later died, and the custodial violence against a man from Erwadi in Tirunelveli. The orders in these cases have been reserved.
In a case relating to the alleged custodial torture of one Selvakumar at the Erwadi police station, Kannadasan criticised sub-inspector V Immanuel and constable L Muthukumar for being unaware of CCTV camera footage retention norms. Immanuel, who had suggested the existence of surveillance footage during cross-examination, said the same was unavailable during the final hearing. The police personnel said they had been instructed, after the Sathankulam custodial deaths, to maintain surveillance footage for six months. However, Kannadasan pointed out that the rulings of the Supreme Court and High Court, along with a directive from the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, mandate that the footage be stored for 12 to 18 months. Selvakumar’s counsel accused the police personnel of filing a false case and alleged that the SI and the constable had assaulted the victim for approaching the High Court to secure bail.
During the hearing of a custodial torture case involving one Pandiarajan, who died after allegedly being assaulted by Thoothukudi South police personnel, the counsel of the victim’s wife argued that the timing of Pandiarajan’s injuries coincided with the period he was in police custody.
In a case of alleged sexual assault on a woman from Kanniyakumari, the victim’s counsel claimed that sub-inspector V Sundaralingam, with the help of a constable, had coerced the woman to abort her pregnancy in an attempt to destroy the evidence.
In the hearing of another custodial torture case — filed in connection with the death of Kumaresan, a youth from Veerakeralampudur — the counsel alleged the police, aided by a few doctors, attempted to portray that liquor consumption had resulted in the death of the youth.