KOLLAM: In yet another custodial torture incident in the state, a 39-year-old farmer was allegedly assaulted by forest officials at a station in Kollam. Sandeep Mathew, of Puthussery near Kadakkal, was tortured by officials of the Kadamanpara Forest Station under Aryankavu range on Friday, leaving him with a fractured nose bone and broken rib.
The victim, who now has difficulty in speaking, is currently under treatment at the Punalur Taluk hospital.
“At the station, around seven officials assaulted him. Though he fell on the ground, they continued the torture. They then tied his hands and legs with a rope and continued the torture. A few officials punched him on the face, causing severe nose bleeding. By then, he passed out and collapsed. The officials then put him in the lockup,” said Kerala Independent Farmers Association president Samson Paul, who had gone to the forest station after knowing about the incident.
After the incident came to light, the Thenmala police registered a case against deputy forest range officer A Jilson and six other officials. They have been charged under IPC sections 326 (voluntarily using dangerous weapons). Forest Minister A K Saseendran had sought a report on the incident from PCCF Pramod Krishnan, and based on it, Jilson was transferred to the Punnala Forest station under Pathanapuram range in Punalur.
The police said the incident occurred around 5pm when Sandeep was coming in an autorickshaw from Kadamanpara after farming activities. Forest officials stopped his vehicle for a routine checking. Sandeep questioned the same, which led to a heated argument. He was then taken to the forest station.
The police said it was the forest officials who informed them that Sandeep was brought to the station. The police officers who reached there shifted Sandeep to the Punalur hospital.
“Our primary observation is that the assault was the result of an ego clash between the officials and the victim. Preliminary investigation indicate that the victim was brutally beaten up by the officials,” said investigating officer Subin Thankachan.
Meanwhile, the forest officials have also filed a complaint stating Sandeep destroyed the computers and other electronic equipment at the forest station.
According to Samson Paul, forest officials had previous enmity towards Sandeep as the latter had opposed the state government’s Rebuild Kerala scheme.
“The government came up with this scheme to destroy our environment and forests. We have been speaking against it for several months. We have learnt that some private entities are trying to set up some projects in Aryankavu forest range by offering them money for evicting people,” Samson Paul alleged.