The Fourth Judicial Magistrate Court in Coimbatore on Tuesday posted to May 10 the hearing of the bail plea of ‘Savukku’ Shankar, who was arrested by the Coimbatore City Cybercrime Police on charges of making derogatory remarks against police officers.
Mr. Shankar is lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison.
The Magistrate said that the petition filed by the cybercrime police seeking custody of Mr. Shankar will be heard on May 9.
Meanwhile, court sources said that three members of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) visited the prison, along with two government doctors, to look into the allegation levelled by Mr. Shankar’s counsel, S. Gopalakrishnan, that his client was assaulted by the prison staff on May 4.
Alleging that his client’s right hand was fractured by the prison staff, Mr. Gopalakrishnan had lodged a petition before the Fourth Judicial Magistrate on Monday. The Magistrate forwarded the petition to the District Judge, who is also the chairman of DLSA. Based on the District Judge’s direction, three members of DLSA and two government doctors visited Mr. Shankar, sources said.
Mr. Gopalakrishnan told journalists on Tuesday night that he will approach the court seeking the findings of the visit by the DLSA members and the doctors for further action.
“There was no improvement in his health condition when I visited him in the prison on Tuesday evening. The prison authority was yet to do an X-ray for his fractured right hand. If he was not assaulted, why didn’t the prison authority take him for an X-ray and prove that there was no fracture in his hand. The prison authority did not produce him before the court on Tuesday for the hearing of the custody petition filed by the police, as the judge would see his health condition,” he alleged.
According to the counsel, Mr. Shankar was able to sign on his own with his right hand on the arrest note prepared by the police at the time of his remand on May 4. The Theni police visited Mr. Shankar in prison and recorded his arrest in another case on Tuesday. The copy of the arrest note shows that Mr. Shankar has given left thump impression instead of signature, because he was not able to sign with right hand, claimed Mr. Gopalakrishnan.
