TIRUNELVELI: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Thursday imposed a total penalty of Rs 1 lakh on a sub-inspector and a constable for assaulting and lodging a man from Donavur in jail in a false case in 2018.
The SHRC said the police personnel assaulted the victim -- Joseph Selvakumar, who was newly married at the time of the incident -- because he had secured anticipatory bail in a separate case.
The commission recommended disciplinary action against the two, who were attached to the Eruvadi police station during the time of the incident.
In his order, SHRC member V Kannadasan said, considering the materials on record and arguments of both the parties, it has been categorically proven by complainant Selvakumar that sub-inspector Immanuel and constable Muthukumar had tortured and abused him, both physically and mentally.
According to the order, Selvakumar, who was working in Saudi Arabia, visited Donavur for his marriage in 2018. During the wedding arrangements, a quarrel broke out between painter Nelson -- hired by the victim's family for renovation works -- and Selvakumar's neighbour, Jeba Thai.
Based on the neighbour's complaint, the Eruvadi police registered a case against Nelson (A1) and Selvakumar (A2). With the wedding nearing, Selvakumar approached the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court and secured anticipatory bail on the condition that he would report to the police station daily.
The order said that shortly after the wedding, when Selvakumar reported to the Eruvadi police station on August 24, 2018, the constable slapped him, asking him how dare he secure an anticipatory bail in the case.
The following day, both the constable and the SI ridiculed the victim's marital life. When Selvakumar started recording their act on his smartphone, they snatched it and brutally assaulted him using lathis. Further, the duo cited an abuse complaint against Selvakumar from Jeba Thai's daughter-in-law, Anbarasai, and arrested him when he was on the station premises.
Kannadasan highlighted that the police personnel had mentioned Anbarasi's name as Kalaiyarasi in the remand report, and the woman contradicted the date of the incident and other details mentioned in her proof affidavit during the cross-examination. Further, the police did not produce CCTV camera footage, he said, noting several other flaws.
Kannadasan ordered the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to Selvakumar, to be collected from Immanuel and Muthukumar (Rs 50,000 each). "The commission also recommends initiating disciplinary proceedings against both the police personnel," he said.
It may be noted that Selvakumar's wife separated from him following the negative developments post-wedding, and he lost his job in Saudi Arabia as he could not renew his passport due to the false case.