The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed Virudhunagar Superintendent of Police to conduct an inquiry into an alleged case of custodial torture and submit an action taken report to the court in three months.
The court was hearing the petition filed in 2020 by Thavakannan of Kariapatti in Virudhunagar district. The petitioner said that he had applied for a passport and received a call from A. Mukkulam police station to attend the verification process. He went to the police station along with a relative. After the completion of the verification process, he proceeded to his village. Later, the same day, Ramprasad, an ex-president of a cooperative society asked the petitioner to come visit him.
When the petitioner met Ramprasad at his house, he was told that a police officer had visited him and told him that a walkie talkie was stolen by the petitioner. The petitioner told him that he did not take the walkie talkie. Subsequently, the petitioner and Ramprasad were asked to come to the police station.
The petitioner alleged that he was subjected to custodial torture by the police personnel. He was admitted to a government hospital in Kariapatti for treatment and later referred to Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital. He sought appropriate action to be taken against the police personnel involved. The police denied the allegations and said that the petitioner was drunk. He had quarrelled with the public and damaged the walkie talkie. Therefore, an FIR was registered against him, it was submitted.
Justice P. Dhanabal observed that the allegations levelled against the police officials were serious in nature and directed the Virudhunagar Superintendent of Police to conduct an inquiry in this regard and if there were any violation of rules, then the SP could act according to the law. The court directed the SP to submit an action taken report to the court in three months.
