Chennai, June 13 (BPNS)
The Greater Chennai City police commissioner Shankar Jiwal has ordered an inquiry into an alleged custodial death at Kodungaiyur police station in North Chennai. The incident of alleged custodial torture and death happened on Sunday.
S. Rajeshekar( 33), a history-sheeter was picked by the Kodungaiyur Police from Munthiri Thoppu in the neighbouring Tiruvallur district for a crime that took place in the jurisdiction of Kodungaiyur police station. Sources in the Chennai city police commissioner’s office told IANS that he was picked up on Sunday.
Police said that the accused had 27 cases against him including house breaks, robbery, theft, and attempt to murder and a history sheet was opened in his name at Sholavaram police station.
The Kodungaiyur special police got the information that Rajashekar was behind the crime committed under its jurisdiction and picked him up. Police said that he confessed to his crime and was sitting at the police outpost on Sunday when he complained of uneasiness and police immediately took him to hospital. He was administered emergency first aid and injection and he recovered, police said.
However after some time again he complained of uneasiness and was taken to Government Stanley Medical College hospital where he was declared brought dead.
It may be noted that this was the second incident of alleged custodial death in Chennai city police limits within the past two months. A Scheduled Caste person, Vignesh 27 was picked up by the Secretariat colony police on April 17th along with another person Suresh and on April 18th Vignesh died in police custody.
With the death of Rajashekar who was in police custody, the Greater Chennai City police have lost its face and hence the commissioner ordered an investigation. Sources in police told BPNS that a case was registered under Section 176 of CrPc and a magisterial probe will follow as the suspect died in police custody.
While the Chief Minister and the DGP have been claiming that the state police is doing an impeccable job, the increase in alleged custodial deaths is giving a blot on the face of the state police which has a notorious history of highhandedness including the Santhankulam custodial torture and death of a father, son duo during the AIADMK regime.
