Three school boys who were picked up by the Sivakasi police in connection with a theft case were allegedly tortured in custody. An enquiry has been ordered into the incident that took place on June 5 at the Sivakasi East police station in Virudhunagar district.
According to ‘Evidence,' a human rights organisation, a police team picked up T. Kalirajan (14) from his house in Meenampatti village at about 2 a.m. on June 5. Then the team went to Narnapuram and took custody of G. Balpandi (14) and his brother G. Senthil Kumar (13). They told the family members that the children were being taken to identify some suspects.
The boys were allegedly subjected to various kinds of torture and forced to confess to having committed the theft. “There is no prima facie evidence against them…it was mere suspicion. There are bruises on their back…needles were pierced through Kalirajan's nails,” says A. Kadir, Executive Director of ‘Evidence.'
Mr. Kadir said the government should provide compensation and good medical treatment to the injured. “There was no need to thrash them so badly. A medico legal case was registered and the three were admitted to the Sivakasi Government Hospital,” he said.
Confirming that the boys were taken for questioning by the police, Inspector General of Police (South Zone) S.S. Krishnamoorthy said an enquiry had been ordered into the allegations made against the Sivakasi East police. The interrogation did not yield any proof to link the boys with the theft, he told The Hindu on Wednesday.
