Slapping and assaulting a person who took up an issue of encroachment on government land allotted for Adi-Dravidars has proved costly for a police Inspector.
The State Human Rights Commission has now recommended to the government to pay Rs. 10,000 as compensation to the victim. The sum should be recovered from the salary of the police official, it ordered.
In the order, SHRC acting Chairperson Jayanthi said it was clear from evidence that the inspector slapped the complainant and assaulted him. S.M. Murugan of Virudhunagar complained to the rights body that some persons with political power were trying to encroach upon lands. On November 5, 2005, he was waiting outside the Dhalavoypuram police station. Vijayakumar, the then inspector of Sethur police station, also in charge of the other police station, wanted to know what the problem was.
When some persons told him that Murugan was creating problems, the inspector slapped the complainant without making any enquiry. At the police station, the complainant was assaulted again and he sustained a bleeding injury in his leg. When Velusamy questioned this, a case was registered against both. They were remanded to custody and later enlarged on bail, the complainant said.
The police official said a case was registered on a complaint on phone from Pandian about encroachment on government land. The two were arrested. The case ended in acquittal.
