Manapparai teen critical after alleged assault in custody

Sources said D Mukesh (17) of Govindarajapuram and two of his friends, Nazeer and Kasi, were arrested in connection with a theft case on Wednesday and were interrogated by inspector Sivakumar and three other cops. The police had allegedly assaulted the three suspects following which Mukesh fell unconscious on Friday. 

Shocked by this, police took him to a private hospital in Manapparai. As his condition deteriorated, Mukesh was shifted to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial GH, Tiruchy, where he has been put on ventilator support. 

Meanwhile, the relatives of Mukesh besieged the hospital and demanded action against the police officers who were involved in the assault of the minor. 

“The police picked Mukesh and his two friends three days back and kept him in custody without even providing food. They forced him to admit the crime, which he had not committed. When he refused, the police assaulted him badly,” claimed one of the relatives at the GH. 

After learning that Mukesh’s condition deteriorated, the police reportedly released his friends reportedly after taking Rs 15,000 from each one of them. However, the efforts to contact the police Inspector for comment went futile.