HC seeks govt reply on plea for CCTV clips from police station

MADURAI: The Madras High Court (Madurai bench) on Thursday directed the state government to file a counter in a plea seeking to provide CCTV footage recorded from Periyakulam station, over allegations of custodial torture inflicted on an alleged participant of Ambedkar Jayanthi arrested by the cops.

The petitioner has alleged that he was tortured for being a person hailing from the Scheduled Community, claiming the torture was executed after the cops saw Ambedkar’s image tattooed on his left chest. He alleged the Inspector humiliated him and used casuist slur.

A petitioner from T Kallupatty in Theni district, T Murugan, stated that he was brutally beaten up by four cops mistaking him to be the participant of Ambedkar Jayanthi held on April 14, 2023 and claimed he had gone to Periyakulam to borrow money.

Cops had arrested many including the petitioner after violence broke out at the Ambedkar Jayanthi celebrations. The petitioner claimed that he fell down in the ruckus and police dragged him to the nearest Periyakulam (Vadakarai) police station, where he was subjected to illegal detention and custodial torture. The Periyakulam police arrested 19 persons including the petitioner under various sections including Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act. The litigant contended that Police registered the case on false charges of stone pelting and attempt to murder.

The cops commanded him to take off his clothes and beat him brutally. After seeing Ambedkar’s picture tattooed on the left chest of the petitioner, the cops attacked him even more ferociously. The Inspector humiliated him and caused insult to his caste (SC Paraiyar). Citing these, the petitioner said the police had falsely implicated him in the riot case. It’s a clear case of not only gross human rights violations but also an offence under the SC /ST POA Act, 2016. No FIR’s registered and CCTV footage was not preserved. A detailed representation was made to respondents on May 31, 2023 for obtaining CCTV footage recorded on April 14 from 11 am to 8 pm, on April 15 and to immediately retrieve, preserve and also to provide him a copy of the CCTV footage from all cameras installed in Periyakulam police station and DSP office.

Justices Sathi Kumar Sukumara Kurup, after hearing the plea, directed the state government to file a counter.