CHENNAI: The State Human Rights Commission on Friday recommended to the Tamil Nadu government to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to a man who was unlawfully detained and threatened by police in 2013.The Commission in its order delivered by D Jayachandran said police officers — H Ramesh Babu, DSP, District Crime Branch, Kancheepuram, N Nirmala Rani, SI of Police, and K Rajendran, SSI — had violated the rights of the complainant, R Saravanakumar when without issuing summons, they trespassed into his house and forcibly took him to the station.
“The Government of Tamil Nadu shall pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to Saravanakumar within two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this recommendation,” said the Commission. “The Government of Tamil Nadu may recover Rs 1 lakh each from the respondents. This Commission also recommends to initiate disciplinary action against the respondents as per rules.”“It is also proved by the complainant that they were detained all over the night and up to 10 am on December 12, 2013 and also (that the police) threatened the complainant and his son to give a cheque as alleged by them amounts to harassment and torture to the complainant and his son,” the Commission observed.
“The action on the part of the respondents is abuse of police power and caused harm to the dignity and reputation of the complainant and his son. Therefore, the act by the respondents is the worst example of cruelty and lawlessness amounting to violation of the human rights.”On August 27, 2013, Saravanakumar lodged a complaint with Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai, against Ramakrishnan and his friend Adam Basha claiming that the men had cheated him of Rs 25 lakh under the guise of agreeing to sell 40 acres at Thaiyur, by handing over forged documents. That complaint was forwarded to Deputy Commissioner of Police who in turn forwarded the same to the SP, Kancheepuram district and he forwarded it to DSP, Anti Land Grabbing Cell, Kancheepuram.
On December 5, 2013 at about 7 am both Rani and Rajendran, trespassed into Saravanakumar’s house and forcibly took him to the SP’s office, where Ramakrishnan was present. Saravanakumar claimed that Rani and Rajendran threatened him to hand over the document given by Ramakrishnan. Hence, Saravanakumar’s brother-in-law brought the document and handed it over to Ramakrishnan. Yet, Saravanakumar and his son were detained through the night and the next day.
The next day at about 10 am, a car and bike which were parked in front of his house were taken away by Rajendran and brought to his financier Mohanmal Kothari where a TO form was obtained and the complainant’s cheque for Rs 2.62 lakh was handed over. Kothari was told to handover the TO form and vehicle records to the said Ramakrishnan and take an undertaking and thereafter took the complainant’s son back to Kancheepuram office.Saravanakumar said that in front of all the three accused, the vehicles were handed over to Ramakrishnan under threat and for the balance amount they obtained blank cheques and also obtained his signatures in blank papers and stamp papers.