TIRUNELVELI: A sub-inspector, one of two police personnel accused of attacking a man at Eruvadi police station in 2018, was cross-examined during a recent State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) hearing.
The complainant, T Joseph Selvakumar (38), who has been fighting for justice for six years, alleged that the assault ruined his life as his wife separated from him five days after their marriage. Further, he said that as he was imprisoned in an alleged false case, he lost his job in a foreign country as he could not renew his passport.
Appearing before SHRC member V Kannadasan, Selvakumar and his advocate, S Ganesan, argued that SI Immanuel and Constable Muthukumar attacked him after he obtained anticipatory bail and he recorded their abuses on his phone. According to their argument, in 2018, Selvakumar was working in Saudi Arabia and had returned to his native Dohnavur for his wedding.
A quarrel between a painter working at his house and a neighbour led to the latter filing a police complaint, which included Selvakumar's name. Concerned about his wedding, Selvakumar obtained anticipatory bail from the high court. Three days after his wedding, on August 23, 2018, he surrendered before the Nanguneri Judicial Magistrate and secured bail.
The next day, while signing in at Eruvadi police station as per the bail terms, Muthukumar allegedly slapped him and abused him for securing anticipatory bail. Suspecting further harassment, Selvakumar recorded the police personnel's comments during his visit to the station on August 24, 2018. Upon discovering the recording, Immanuel and Muthukumar allegedly thrashed him brutally.
Selvakumar further claimed that the police registered a false case on the spot, claiming that one Kalaiyarasi had filed a harassment complaint against him and he was jailed. However, Selvakumar alleged that such a person does not exist. "Even in the remand application, the complainant's name was listed as Kalaiyarasi. Despite the SHRC's demand, the police have not submitted the remand application to the commission," Selvakumar's advocate added.
During cross-examination, Immanuel claimed that he mistakenly mentioned the complainant's name as Kalaiyarasi instead of Anbarasi, one of his neighbours and denied the assault allegations. Kannadasan adjourned the hearing to January 24, 2025.