MADURAI: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has recommended that the Tamil Nadu government take disciplinary action against six policemen who allegedly forced four people to confess to a crime they didn’t commit. It also directed the government to pay Rs 1 lakh each to the victims.
The case pertains to a crime committed in March 2011, when the severed head of a calf was found in the RSS office in Madurai, sources said. The police arrested four people — U Shaul Hameed, R Alhaj, K Rafeek Raja, and J Shainsha. The case was later transferred to the CB-CID, where it is being handled by the Special Investigation Division (SID). It is still pending in court in Madurai, the sources added.
Meanwhile, Shaul, Alhaj, Rafeek and Shainsha lodged complaints with the SHRC, saying they were illegally detained, threatened, abused, brutally assaulted, and forced to admit to the crime. The officials responsible were special team members of the deputy commissioner (law and order) — sub inspector P Parthiban, sub inspector R Venkatraman, constable K Chitravel, head constable R Sankaranarayanan, special sub inspector S Ganeshan, and special sub inspector K Mohan — the petitioners said. During the hearing, the respondents failed to prove their innocence.
Petitioners’ counsel Syed Abdul Kadhar said the SHRC ordered that the State government provide a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the four petitioners. “The commission also recommended disciplinary action against the policemen. One of the complainants, Shaul, died in 2016, and the case is being represented by his mother Kadhija Beevi and his minor son,” he added.
Sub inspectors Parthiban and Venkatraman became inspectors and moved out of the city, while special sub inspectors Ganeshan and Mohan retired. Sankaranarayanan and Chitravel are still serving in the city, he said.
‘Illegally detained & brutally assaulted’
The four people who were arrested told the SHRC they were illegally detained, threatened, abused, brutally assaulted, and forced to admit to the crime. The SHRC has directed the govt to pay each of them Rs 1 lakh