The Popular Front of India (PFI) has demanded immediate action against the police personnel found guilty by the State Human Rights Commission of torturing “innocent” Muslim youths in a case of hurling the head of a cow at the RSS office in Madurai in 2011.
PFI State vice-president, A. Khalid Mohammed, sought a re-investigation by a special team into the case and 17 other cases of detection of bombs in public places in Madurai city.
The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) recently awarded Rs.1 lakh compensation each to the four accused and ordered stringent action against the guilty police personnel.
Alleging that Muslim youths were targeted, framed and tortured, Mr. Mohammed told journalists on Friday: “17 cases of unexploded bombs/exploding of crackers were registered in the city and around 100 Muslims were affected due to biased police action. We want the government to constitute a special team to re-investigate these cases and bring to light the truth,” he said.
According to him, then Superintendent of Police (Madurai District), V. Balakrishnan, had written to the Director General of Police implicating two senior police officers in those cases.
Shahinsha, one of the accused in the RSS office case, complained that he suffered injuries on his spinal cord and its impact was now felt on his health. “The police tortured us to admit to the crime as we denied any knowledge of it. However, they forced us to give confessions by threatening to harm our family members,” Shahinsha said.
The case, which was subsequently transferred to Crime Branch – Criminal Investigation Department is still being heard at a Judicial Magistrate Court.
District president of PFI, S. Mohammed Abudhahir, was present.
