The alleged detention of a 9-year-old girl by Special Investigation Unit for an enquiry after dusk without the permission of her mother triggered opposition from residents of Melapalayam here on Wednesday.
As the girl, a Class IV student, was allegedly threatened and manhandled by the SIU men during enquiry, she has been admitted to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital with injuries.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, M. Nizam Mohideen, State general secretary of Social Democratic Party of India, said an SIU Sub-Inspector and an Intelligence Wing policeman “abducted” the girl from Melapalayam in a vehicle when she was going to a shop on Sunday evening, to extract information about the persons visiting and helping the family in the absence of her father, who is lodged in Tiruchi prison in connection with the case pertaining to planting of a pipe bomb on the convoy route of BJP leader L.K. Advani near Madurai.
When search by the girl’s mother went in vain, she informed the nearby mosque where the administrators made an announcement through public address system about the girl.
“Then SI Manoharan informed the mother over phone about the whereabouts of the girl and brought her to her house around 10 p.m. When the girl did not speak out of fear, the police personnel assaulted her in which she sustained injuries and has been admitted to the TVMCH,” Mr. Nizam Mohideen said.
He appealed to the State government to give protection and compensation to the girl’s family, besides handing over the case to the CBI for enquiry.
Based on the complaint preferred by Ms. Mehraj Begum, Melapalayam police have registered a case against Mr. Manoharan and the unidentified police constable under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 363 (kidnapping) and 506/2 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
A police officer said Mr. Manoharan was shifted to Madurai on Wednesday.
