Killing and custodial deaths on the increase in Tamilnadu

By Gopal Ethiraj, Chennai

CHENNAI, 25 August (asiantribune.com): The killing of an elderly couple at Neelankarai in Chennai on Monday evening is yet another shocking incident, which records the growing crime scenario in the city of Chennai. Not only that the custodial deaths is also on the increase, shattering the people’s confidence with the State police.

Ilangovan (69), a retired merchant navy captain, and his wife Ramani (62) were killed on the spot, when a gunman barged into the house and shot at them point blank. Their daughter-in-law Vasanthi (35) sustained bullet injuries on her right shoulder, face, neck and chest and was admitted to a hospital in Adyar in a critical condition. The assailant inflicted injuries on her children, Praveen (12) and Priyanka (8), using a knife. Her husband Vidya Shankar had gone to airport to see a friend.

Presuming all of them had died, the accused bolted the door outside after looting cash and jewelry and left only to return with his friends to look for more. In the meantime Vasanthi got up and locked the door inside, and had informed people outside. The public chased and caught the assailant, latter identified as Raja alias Shanmugaraja of West Mambalam, who was still holding on a 0.32 pistol. He was handed over to the police who took him to Adyar Police Station for interrogation.

The police took Raja early in the morning today to a private hospital in an unconscious condition, where the doctors declared him dead. According to the police, Raja died due to sudden heart attack. According to a source he was beaten up badly which lead to his collapse.

Vidhya Shankar works in France and had come on holiday to see his parents, and they were planning to leave in a few days. The two children are said to be out of danger.

The State Government ordered for an RDO inquiry about Raja's death in the police lockup.

Lock-up death on the increase

There is a sorry state of affair in the state of Tamil Nadu, where there has been 31 lock-up deaths in span of 90 days.

On August 17 mid-night, a thirty-five year old man was allegedly beaten to death by inebriated policemen after his wife sought their help in a domestic quarrel at Neelankarai. He was declared `brought dead' at a hospital where he was taken after his condition worsened due to the assault.

Residents of Kottivakkam were witness to the midnight terror unleashed by Neelankarai sub-inspector Gunasekhar and three constables, who were all in an inebriated condition. N Ramesh, the victim, was a cashier at Ullagaram petrol station, and his wife Usharani were quarrelling on Monday night, which matter was reported by a neighbour to the police. The couple had been married for 12 years and had two children.

"There was no attempt to hold an enquiry at all," his brothers N Anbu and N Loganathan said. SI Gunasekhar ordered the constables to hold Ramesh's hands and beat him so mercilessly that the cane broke, they said. Ramesh was then made to lie across his motorbike and another round of thrashing followed. Ramesh, who was unable to walk, was dragged into the patrol van and taken to Neelankarai police station.

However, before leaving for the police station Gunasekar demanded and got Rs 200 as fuel money, sources said. Anbu said that at the station, Ramesh was again severely beaten. He passed urine and stool and collapsed.

The police first took him to a local clinic and later to Malar Hospital, Adyar, where he was declared `brought dead'. The residents demanded the immediate suspension of the SI and constables.

Revenue Divisional Officer, Chengalpattu, Padmaja Devi, and Tambaram tahsildar Govindasamy conducted an enquiry.

Rights outfits’ recent charge on police

Rights outfits have identified the `pervasive regime of impunity' as the single most important factor for widespread use of torture by the police in India. The men in khaki are rarely punished for their transgressions, which run into a huge catalogue of torture, beatings and extrajudicial killings.

The absence of an effective redress mechanism for its citizens is glaring, thanks to New Delhi's reluctance to ratify the UN Convention against Torture, which it signed in 1997.

Ratification of the international human rights instrument would ensure that suitable measures are in place to prevent the use of the third degree by the police to extract confession in custody, they say.

While Maharashtra holds the dubious distinction for the maximum number of custodial deaths in India, Tamil Nadu does not lag far behind. Quoting media reports, rights outfits like People's Watch say there were close to 40 custodial deaths in the State during 2006 to 2009. Most of the victims were between 20 and 40 years of age and arrested for their involvement in theft cases or sale of illicit arrack.

“Custodial death victims usually hail from backward sections of society many of them Dalits with little or no means to seek legal help," said a rights activist. "False cases are filed against communities like `kal ottar,' who belong to kuttra parambarai," he added.

The interrogation methods used by the police are crude and obsolete. Sources say there are 51 interrogation cells in the State. These are different from the regular police stations and are usually located in the outskirts of the city or town. The police personnel here are `experts' in torture and employ different methods to force confessions.

While some succumb to the pain, others carry the scars throughout their life. For those who want to lead a reformed life after their release from prison, it is frustrating to find the police at their doorstep every time a crime is committed in the vicinity. The former convicts and their nearest relatives, most often their wives, are taken to the police stations, where they are abused and beaten. Many choose to end their lives unable to bear the torture.

Narrating a spin-chilling incident that took place in Theni district, an activist said a woman who was released after serving sentence for selling ganja, was forced by the police to take up the trade again. When she refused, she was burnt by four police personnel inside her house.

In her dying declaration, she named the four men, who were placed under suspension. "All these measures are an eyewash. There is need for systematic changes to check police abuse and make them more accountable," the activists say.