Now, auto driver loses life to 'police brutality' in Tamil Nadu

TENKASI: In yet another case of alleged police torture in TN leading to a person's death, a 25-year-old autorickshaw driver in Tenkasi district died late Saturday of internal injuries and haemorrhage resulting from being allegedly kicked, punched and stamped upon by two cops 48 days earlier.
Based on a complaint lodged by the father of the victim, N Kumaresan of Veerakeralampudur, a case has been registered against sub-inspector Chandrasekar and constable Kumar under Section 174(3) of the CrPC.The duo has been placed under suspension, a senior police officer said.
Man says cop pulled up son over land dispute
Navaneethakrishnan, who lost his eldest of his three sons, told TOI that Kumaresan had a property dispute with one Senthil.“On May 8,2020,Chandrasekar called Kumaresan to Veerakeralampudur police station for an inquiry based on a complaint from Senthil. Chandrasekar slapped my son. The SI grew furious when we asked him the reason for beating up my son,”he said.
“On May 9 afternoon,when Kumaresan was standing at his autorickshaw stand, the SI called him again to the police station. An argument broke out. Chandrasekar got furious when my son told him that both police and autorickshaw drivers were wearing the same khaki. The SI took away my son’s mobile and told him to meet him at the station next day,” said Navaneethakrishnan. Navaneethakrishnan said his son went to Veerakeralampudur station at 11am on May 10. “Chandrasekar and constable Kumar unleashed brutality on him. They kicked him on his genitals and chest with boots. They made him lie down and stood on his legs. They punched him on the back, causing severe back pain,” he said.
Kumaresan was sent home,but not before warning that he and his father would be booked for serious offences if he revealed a word about the torture. Fearing further trouble, Kumaresan did not talk about it to even his family members. But for the next one month, his food intake dropped sharply. He used to vomit, at times even blood, said Navaneethakrishnan. On June 10,when Kumaresan vomited blood and faced breathing difficulties, the family took him to a private hospital in Surandai. “Even then, he did not tell us about the police assault. After three days, as his condition worsened, he was referred to Tirunelveli Government Medical College and Hospital.
“When the doctor treating him at Tirunelveli hospital noticed internal injuries to his kidneys, lungs and other organs and asked my son about the reason, did he open up. Police visited the hospital on June 14 to get a complaint from my son. But they did not record the brutal assault,” he said.
Navaneethakrishnan lodged a complaint with Tenkasi superintendent of police Suguna Singh a week ago, seeking action against the SI and constable.“But no action was taken. After 16 days of hospitalisation, my son died last night,” the father said.
Villagers and relatives of the deceased resorted to protest late on Saturday demanding that Chandrasekar and Kumar be booked for murder. Around 3am on Sunday, police received a complaint from Navaneethakrishnan and registered a case of suspicious death.
The postmortem was performed at Tirunelveli medical college hospital on Sunday and the entire procedure was videographed and CCTV footage at the station will also be secured, said Singh. Kumaresan’s body was taken to his village and buried at 5.15 pm on Sunday.