Ambasamudram’s Assistant Superintendent of Police, Balbirsingh, has been accused of brutally extracting teeth from individuals brought in for questioning in criminal cases. Tamil Nadu has a history of torture of undertrials and deaths of prisoners in police custody. Although human rights activists raise allegations, mobilize people, and fight legally in response, such incidents continue to happen. Henri Defane, Executive Director of People’s Watch, explained that Balbir Singh is not the only problem, but all those involved in the case were negligent. There are institutional legal provisions to prevent such incidents, but civil society action is required to ensure human rights. Retired High Court judge Hariparanthaman said that India is 100-200 years behind Western countries, and law alone is not enough to protect human rights. Civil society must react to this situation, he said.
Ambasamudram Assistant Superintendent of Police Balbirsingh has been accused of brutally pulling out the teeth of people who were brought in for questioning in criminal cases. After that, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin told the Assembly that he has been suspended and an inquiry has been ordered.
Tamil Nadu has a long history of torture of undertrials and deaths of prisoners in police custody.
In the year 2020, when Jayaraj and Bennix, the father and son of Shathankulam, were accused of being severely tortured in police custody, the death of both of them in jail has shaken the conscience of Tamil Nadu in the last few years. It brought great discredit to the then AIADMK regime. Apart from that, there have been hundreds of incidents in the last 5-6 years where persons taken for investigation in various cases across Tamil Nadu slipped and fell in the police station toilet and presented with broken bones in their arms and legs.
In April 2022, Vignesh, who was taken to Chennai for questioning, died in police custody. Thangamani, who belonged to the tribal community of Thattaranai village in Thiruvannamalai district, was arrested for selling liquor and died while incarcerated in the branch jail. In such incidents, human rights activists raise allegations, mobilize people and fight legally. But, such incidents keep happening.
Where did things go wrong with Ambasamutra? What causes such incidents to keep happening? We asked Henri Defane, executive director of People’s Watch, an organization that takes on many human rights cases.
Ambasamudram A.S.P.’s teeth of those arrested in an attempt to murder case. Mentioning the incident of alleged extortion with cutting pliers, Henry said they are receiving statements from the victims and it is clear what happened.
image source, ISHR
Henry DeFane
“They cleaned up the bloodstain like Satan’s pool”
“Balbir Singh is not the only problem in this. District Collector and Superintendent of Police have all been negligent. This happened on March 10. How can we believe that we don’t know anything until they talk to Bail on the 26th? Together they covered up what happened. It’s in the media. When they realize that we are all interfering, they now change their position.
They have cleaned the bloodstain here just like they cleaned the bloodstain in the satankulam. But what did the magistrate do? At 11.30 pm, when the police brought the victims to jail, they were bleeding from the mouth and had injuries. Wouldn’t he have seen a remand prosecutor?
All police stations should have CCTV cameras 24 hours a day. Both audio and video recorded in it should be preserved for 18 months. Tamilnadu government has allocated funds for this in the budget. Can’t the district collector see the CCTV camera of Ambasamudram police station? What did he do as the head of the District Police Complaints Authority? The Superintendent of Police does not have a separate divisional constable in Ambasamudram sub-district. It is his job to report to the Superintendent of Police what is happening in the police station. Didn’t he give? So, it’s about the whole system,” said Henri Defane.
‘Civil society action is the solution’
image source, FACEBOOK/JUSTICEHARIPARANTHAMAN
Justice Hariparanthaman
We asked retired High Court judge Hariparanthaman what institutional legal provisions are in place to prevent such incidents of accused in police custody.
“Civil society should be concerned about this. Civil society should act to prevent this. He said it was the only way. American historian and social activist Noam Chomsky who came to India said that the first terrorist in America when he came to India was then President George Bush. The civil society in our town is strong when asked if you can go to your country after saying this. That’s security, he said.
India is 100-200 years behind in this respect compared to western countries. There, white people are coming and standing in the Black Lives Matter movement. SCSC The law says that the families of those who have died in cases of violence should be given employment. Even that is not implemented. When I was a judge, I have issued an order to provide such employment. There are labor welfare laws. But workers get rights under the Act only if there are trade unions. Similarly, law alone is not enough. Civil society must react to this to ensure human rights,” said Haribarandaman.
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