The recent suspension of four police officers attached to the Fort Police Station in Thiruvananthapuram, over allegations of custodial assault, has once again turned the spotlight on a station that carries the weight of a troubling past.
Last week, a grade SI and three officers were suspended after CCTV visuals reportedly showed an accused in a bike theft case being assaulted in custody.
The accused, Jinu Baby, who was apprehended in Kochi and brought to Thiruvananthapuram, is now undergoing treatment at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital with serious kidney injuries.
Requesting anonymity, an officer says Jinu was allegedly struck multiple times with a hammer, and was given electric shocks.
Any allegation of custodial violence linked to the Fort Police Station inevitably brings back memories of Udayakumar.
In September 2005, the scrap dealer was taken into custody by officers of the same station on suspicion of theft after they found `4,000 in his possession.
Udayakumar, who was 26 at that time, had been picked up from a park. He was allegedly tortured in custody. By night, he was admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. However, he died soon after.
The post-mortem findings and investigations pointed to multiple injuries on his body. The prosecution later held that he had been beaten severely in custody and that led to fatal internal injuries.
The incident triggered protests across the state. Human rights organisations and political parties demanded an independent probe.
The investigation was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In 2018, a CBI court convicted five police personnel at the Fort Police Station. Two were awarded the death penalty, and the others were sentenced to three years in prison.
The verdict was seen as a rare instance of strong judicial action in a custodial violence case. However, a lengthy legal battle ensued. And last year, the High Court acquitted all the accused officers, overturning the trial court’s judgment.
The acquittal reopened debate over accountability in cases of custodial tortures and the standards of proof required to sustain convictions.
The Udayakumar case became a reference point in discussions on police reforms in the state. His death had, at the time, sparked intense discussions on arrest procedures and the rights of detainees.
It also called for strict compliance with the Supreme Court guidelines on custodial safeguards. Over the years, measures such as installation of CCTV cameras in police stations and clearer arrest documentation processes were projected as steps to prevent abuse.
Two decades later, the fresh allegations linked to the very same police station is a grim reminder that custodial violence remains an unresolved issue. While the current case is under departmental scrutiny and legal processes will take their course, the shadow of 2005 lingers.