AHMEDABAD: A 19-year-old boy, allegedly involved in offences like chain snatching, today told a court here that a police inspector tortured him to such an extent that he lost his vision.
"I was taken to Gujarat University police station from the central jail where M M Rajyaguru (Gujarat University police station inspector) verbally abused me," a statement of the accused said.
"He (Rajyaguru)later kicked me on my stomach...I was operated for an intestinal disorder. Due to the kick, my head hit a wall and I lost my vision," the statement of boy, who has been identified as Umesh alias Lalo Gulabji Khatik (19) before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Shilpa Kanabar on July 17, said.
After recording the boy's statement, the court ordered that the case be reported to the chief metropolitan magistrate.
However, the police inspector refuted the charge and claimed that the allegations are "baseless".
"All his allegations are baseless. He is involved in 22 offences of chain snatching and other petty crimes. He became blind after he fell down in central jail around a month ago," M M Rajyaguru, police inspector at Gujarat University police station told PTI.
"I am not a fool to torture an accused who was operated recently after he was stabbed in a scuffle. I had also directed my staff to not touch him. I did not touch him as well," Rajyaguru said.
He said that the accused was in his custody for around two to three minutes and he has closed circuit television camera (CCTV) footage to prove it.
According to Umesh's father Gulabji, even if his son is involved in a crime, he should be prosecuted fairly and not tortured.
"He cannot see anything after he was beaten up by police inspector Rajyaguru. He narrated the incident before the court about how he was brutalised. Even if he was involved in a crime, he should have a fair chance and should be prosecuted as per law. This is no way to treat him," Gulabji Khatik told PTI.
"After his condition worsened following police torture, he was taken to civil hospital where doctors gave him 15 days' medicine but how can a blind person take his medicines in Sabarmati central jail," Khatik said.