The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the State to file a status report to the petition filed by a woman from Madurai who alleged that her husband died due to custodial torture by Mathichiyam police. She has sought a CB-CID probe into the incident.
Justice P. Vadamalai directed the State to file a status report to the petition filed by K. Kamalapriya who alleged that her husband G. Karthik of Yagappa Nagar, a construction labourer, was beaten up severely in police custody. A thorough probe should be conducted into the incident and appropriate action should be taken against the erring officials, she said.
She said that a complaint was registered against her husband. The police officials harassed her husband and threatened to foist a ganja case against him, she alleged.
She said that on April 2, her husband was picked up by the police in the name of an inquiry. A case was foisted against him and they told the family that he would be taken for remand. Later, the petitioner said that the family was told that her husband was unwell and he was admitted to Government Rajaji Hospital.
She said that the police told her that her husband had been vomiting. He could not speak and both his eyes were red. On April 4, they were told that he was fine. However, on April 5, he was in a critical condition and later, the family was told that he had died.
The petitioner alleged that the preliminary post-mortem report had revealed there were injuries on the body that could have been caused due to beatings. She sought a copy of the CCTV footage available at the police station, transfer of probe to the CB-CID and appropriate action against the erring officials. The court adjourned the hearing in the case by one week.
