More than 15 years after the police detained two individuals illegally for several days and demanded money for their release, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, recommended that the Tamil Nadu government pay a compensation of ₹1 lakh to the victims. It also recommended disciplinary action against the police personnel concerned.
SHRC member V. Kannadasan also recommended that the State government recover the sum of ₹1 lakh from Inspector A. Rajasekar, Sub-Inspectors K. Singaravelu and R. Suganthi and police constables M. Ramu and Muthuveeran, who, at the time of the incident in August 2008, were all attached to the Thuraiyur police station in Tiruchi district.
Complainant G. Vijayalakshmi had submitted that her son-in-law was taken in by the police and kept in a lock-up, and further, the police had demanded a sum of ₹25,000 for his release.
The complainant’s husband had sent representations to the Chief Minister and the Tiruchi Collector but to no avail. He later moved a habeas corpus petition (HCP) in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court. The police then assaulted him for filing the HCP, Ms. Vijayalakshmi alleged.
She submitted that her husband was taken to the Erakudi Outpost Police Station, Uppiliyapuram Police Station, T. Pettai Police Station, Musiri DSP’s Office and private lodges where the police threatened him, asking him to withdraw his HCP. The complainant later moved the Commission to release her husband. The respondents (police) denied all the allegations.
Considering the oral and documentary evidence and the arguments of both the parties, this Commission said it was of the considered view that it was “categorically proved” by the complainant that the respondents “detained the man illegally for several days and demanded money for his release”.
It also said the respondents had detained the complainant’s husband “illegally for filing habeas corpus petition against the respondents” and further impleaded both her husband and son-in-law as accused persons in a murder case and had arrested and remanded them to judicial custody. They were in the jail for nearly three months. But the murder case registered against them ended in an acquittal.
