Chennai ‘custodial death’: SHRC takes suo motu cognisance, asks police commissioner to submit report within 4 weeks

According to the police, Rajasekar alias Appu, a resident of Munthiri Thoppu near Alamathi in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district, was picked up on Sunday in connection with two burglary cases in Kodungaiyur limits. The police said Rajasekar, who accepted that he was involved in the above cases, had a total of 25 criminal cases against him and has been classified as B-category history sheeter by the Sholavaram police.

The police said while they were carrying out the investigation, Rajasekar had complained of uneasiness and was taken to a nearby private hospital. After getting treatment, he was taken back to the station. However, in the evening, Rajasekar had again complained of illness and was taken to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

The incident created outrage in Tamil Nadu with opposition and activists slamming the police for the continuous cases of custodial deaths. As an immediate measure, the state police had transferred the case to CB-CID and after a preliminary enquiry, five policemen, including Kodungaiyur police inspector George Miller Ponraj, police sub-inspector Kanniyappan, head constables Jayasekar and Manivannan and Grade-I police constable Shankar were suspended.

While the police claim that Rajasekar died following health complications, his family alleges that he was tortured by the cops. “Who gave them the right to kill my son? Let my son be the last of this custodial murder. My son had no history of seizure, he was beaten to death. I will not accept his body until I get justice,” Rajasekar’s mother Usha Rani said.

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