Chennai cops fined Rs 3L for beating up woman

An inspector and two sub-inspectors attached to Kodungaiyur police station, who foisted a false case, beat up and illegally detained a woman in 2015, were imposed a fine of Rs one lakh each by the State Human Rights Commission. The commission has also recommended disciplinary action against the officers.

The officers were identified as inspector Kanagaraj and sub-inspectors Arumugam and Sathishkumar. The complainant, K Parvathy, is a resident of Kodungaiyur. Around 5 am on June 24, 2015, Kanagaraj along with four sub-inspectors and three police constables, including a woman officer, dragged Parvathy out of the house and forcibly took her on a police jeep. Arumugam and Sathishkumar severely attacked her with boots.

When the people who gathered at the spot protested the police atrocities, Kanagaraj abused her referring to her caste and took her to the police station though there was no complaint against her. Later, the police got signature from one Manikandan on white paper and foisted a complaint against her.

Once at the station, the three officers assaulted Parvathy before producing her before a magistrate at noon. But such was her condition by then that the magistrate refused to remand her and instead directed the police to provide her treatment.

The officers took her to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, where the doctors recommended admitting her as a patient.

But the police personnel refused and took her to Royapettah Government Hospital. When the doctors there, too, suggested the same, they refused again and instead took her back to the police station and detained the woman at the station illegally. The next day, the officers produced her before the magistrate and got her remanded in judicialcustody.

The complainant was released on bail on July 3, 2015. She was then admitted to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital and had to undergo a surgery. “She was not even able to eat after she was released,” said the complaint filed by the woman.

Though the police officers denied all the charges against them and added that she was arrested for trying to extort a vendor after a complaint was filed, the SHRC held that the complainant has established that the officers foisted a false case and beat her up. The inspector also denied abusing her using her case name.

The Commission directed the State government to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh and recover it from therespondents equally, and also recommended the authorities to initiate disciplinary action against the officers asper the rules.