In a serious charge against Ambasamudram Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Balveer Singh, a group of persons, accused in an “attempt to murder” case, has alleged that the police officer broke their teeth and crushed the testicles of two of them at the Kallidaikurichi station on March 23.
Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police P. Saravanan told The Hindu that he came to know about the allegation on social media on Saturday, and the matter was referred to the Tirunelveli Collector for an independent inquiry. “We came to know about this allegation through social media on Saturday. Considering the nature of the allegation, the issue has been referred to the District Magistrate under Section 151 of the Police Standing Order,” he said.
A Deputy Superintendent was also conducting an inquiry, he said.
Mr. Saravanan said a group of persons was arrested on the charge of attempt to murder a person named Venkatesan. They were interrogated by the police on March 23.
In the video message posted on a social media platform, three of the group narrated their ordeal of third degree torture by Mr. Balveer Singh. One of them said the ASP, who was in uniform when they were taken to the police station, changed to plainclothes. “He asked his gun-man and another policeman to hold my hands. He broke my tooth with a huge gravel. Later, he put the broken pieces into my mouth and slapped me until my lips started bleeding,” he alleged. The others were tortured likewise, he said.
Later, the police crushed the testicles of one of them. “As we pleaded with him to spare one of us, who was recently married, the police subjected him to the same degree of torture,” he said.
The victims also said they were beaten with lathis. One of them showed a big scar on his shoulder, alleged to have been caused by the assault with lathi.
The victims said they feared more torture at the hands of the police for revealing the custodial torture.
