The Hindu : Front Page : Youth alleges torture in police custody

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 29, 2005

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Youth alleges torture in police custody

Staff Reporter

ANOTHER VICTIM: Shahim at the casualty of the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

Thiruvananthapuram: A 22-year-old activist of the Communist Marxist Party, Shahim S.J., has been admitted to the Medical College Hospital with head injuries and shoulder dislocation sustained after he was allegedly tortured by Mangalapuram police early on Friday.

Shahim, a resident of S.J. Nivas, Kalladichavila, Chempazanthi, and his relative, Shershah, 19, were taken into custody by a police team led by the Sub Inspector (Mangalapuram) Pradeep Kumar in connection with an election-related complaint.

Recalling the ordeal, Shahim said the police team came for him when he was offering `namaz' around 5 a.m. at his home. The police took Shahim to Shershah's house and later they were taken to the police station. Shershah's father, Abdul Majeed, and Shahim's brother, Shammem, who rushed to the police station, said they could hear Shahim's cries from the back of the building housing the police station. They said they were allowed to go there. Later, policemen brought Shahim to the room where Shershah was standing. Mr. Majeed said: "The SI said he had beaten Shahim with a cane. Blood was flowing from his head, nostrils and ears and he could hardly stand. The SI offered bail and asked us to take him. Seeing his condition, we rejected the bail and demanded that a senior officer should come. By this time, Shahim collapsed," he said.

The SI himself took him to the Medical College Hospital. Shahim said the SI and eight policemen had tortured him in the outhouse of the station building.

The youth said he was also threatened by the police officer. Shahim said that the police official had dumped him in the casualty after telling the hospital authorities that he was a road accident victim. Only on the intervention of his relatives the words, "alleged assault" was entered in the out patient record.

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