THOOTHUKUDI: Three women constables and a sub-inspector of Muthaiapuram police station were suspended on Wednesday with a pending inquiry on charges of allegedly torturing a woman suspect.
A senior police official said the constables — Mercina, Kalpana, Uma Maheswari -- and the sub-inspector Muthumalai have been placed under suspension.
According to sources, the constables picked up S Sumathi (40) of Krishna Nagar abound to Muthiahpuram police limit, in connection to a complaint lodged by her neighbour Prabakaran on May 7. Prabakaran had alleged that 10 sovereigns of gold jewels were stolen from his house on May 4 and he suspected Sumathi in his complaint.
The women constables allegedly assaulted her and caused internal injuries, and following this, she was admitted to Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital for treatment. Later on May 11, Sumathi lodged a complaint with the Superintendent of Police L Balaji Saravanan against the police constables and he deployed an inquiry committee. The inquiry report revealed that the women police had held an inquiry with Sumathi without registering an FIR, had tortured her, and they had not informed their higher officials.
Based on the report, the SP suspended the trio, the sources added. Meanwhile, Tirunelveli range Deputy Inspector General of Police suspended sub-inspector Muthumalai of the Muthaiahpuram station.
Thoothukudi SP L Balaji Saravanan told TNIE that the woman suspect was interrogated in the station without an FIR or a CSR on the complaint given against her by the neighbour. Also the Sub Inspector had inquired the woman sans the presence of a woman constable. The suspension pending inquiry has been invoked against the police personnel as a disciplinary measure since they violated circulars given by the top police officials on handling suspects during interrogation, he added.