The pathetic condition of a DYFI leader who was allegedly tortured by police in custody is a clear testimony to the poor law and order situation in the State under the UDF rule, Pinarayi Vijayan, the CPI(M) politbureau member has said.
The custodial torture of the DYFI leader was on the directions of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, he said, while visiting the jail here to meet the youth.
Twenty two-year-old Tim Thomas, the local unit vice president of the DYFI, was subjected to brutal third-degree torture measures as part of the investigation into the alleged stone-throwing at the house of K. Sivadasan Nair, MLA, at Aranmula, the CPI(M) State secretariat member Anathalavattom Anandan said.
He was inaugurating a march by the CPI(M) to the Aranmula police station demanding stern action against the police personnel involved in the torture.
Mr. Anandan also said the torture of the youth was on the directions of the Home Minister and the local MLA.
Mr. Thomas, who was taken into custody from Bangalore on April 1, was brutally handled by the police team led by the Sub Inspector at the Aranmula police station, Mr. Anandan said. Mr. Thomas was remanded to the District Jail in Pathanamthitta.
The jail authorities had taken him to the General Hospital on more than one occasion due to the serious internal injures he had suffered in the alleged torture sessions at the police station and outside, he added.
The CPI(M) leader demanded the immediate suspension of the Aranmula SI and the other police personnel involved in the custodial torture of the youth.
The march began from Aykara junction in the forenoon.
Though the police force deployed about 250 metres away from the police station on the Aranmula-Kozhencherry Road tried to block the march, the 1500-strong agitated CPI(M) workers pushed the police aside and marched ahead. They stopped about 100 metres way from the police station.
K.P. Udayabhanu, CPI(M) district secretary; K. Ananthagopan, former party secretary; Raju Abraham, MLA; R. Ajayakumar, District Panchayat member, and N. Sajikumar, CPI(M) district committee member; also spoke.
A. Padmakumar, former MLA, presided over the meeting. K.C. Rajagopalan, former MLA; Omalloor Sankaran, Babu Koickalethu, Rajan Varghese, and G .Ajayakumar, party district leaders; led the march.
