TIRUNELVELI: Stating that the Thalamuthu Nagar police brutally beat his son in custody, accusing him of having ties with a criminal gang, a 62-year-old man from Thoothukudi appeared before State Human Rights Commission member V Kannadasan in Tirunelveli on Friday.
The complainant Shanmugasundaram, a retired BSNL worker, alleged that his son Rajagopal, a driver, was wrongfully arrested and tortured by the police. According to the complaint, Rajagopal was hired by clients for transport on the day of the incident.
However, those clients turned out to be members of a criminal gang. The police registered a case against Rajagopal, suspecting his involvement with the gang.
Shanmugasundaram alleged that after the arrest, the police tied his son upside down and beat him as part of the interrogation.
During the hearing, Kannadasan questioned the police’s counsel, asking if it is acceptable to tie someone upside down and beat them just because an FIR was filed. He condemned the police’s alleged action, emphasising that such brutality cannot be tolerated. However, the advocate refuted the complainant’s claim.
Kannadasan also advised Shanmugasundaram to return for the next hearing with legal representation, stating that the words of the poor often go unheard.