U-turn in Ambasamudram custodial torture: 'Tooth broke after I fell down'

CHENNAI: A man who was taken into custody by accused IPS officer Balveer Singh, who is now placed under suspension, said that he was not assaulted by the police and his tooth was broken after he fell down.

"Rumours spread that I was tortured under police custody. My tooth was broken after I fell down and the police have nothing to do with this incident," Surya told reporters at Cheranmahadevi after appearing before the Collector's office for questioning.

Trouble mounted for the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Balveer Singh, who is facing serious charges of custodial torture, including pulling teeth using pliers, stones, and crushing testicles, after the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) took suo motu cognisance of the allegations and ordered the IG-rank official heading its own investigation wing to probe the matter.

The issue came to light after some of the suspects who allegedly faced brutal torture by the officer came forward to reveal their ordeal. Several videos of victims emerged on social media, taking the internet by storm.

While the Tirunelveli Collector K P Karthikeyan ordered a probe, Head of State Police Force DGP C Sylendra Babu issued orders to relieved him from his posting and placed him on compulsory wait.

A graduate from IIT-Bombay, 39-year old Singh is a native of Rajasthan, and has been serving in the Ambasamudram police sub-division in Tirunelveli District since October 2022.