The Tamil Nadu government had issued an order, which became public on 22 January, revoking the suspension of IPS officer Balveer Singh.
Balveer Singh (left), and one of the victims showing his injury. (Supplied)
A section of the victims of the alleged custodial torture by Ambasamudram Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Balveer Singh have expressed apprehension over the government order which revoked his suspension.
The Tamil Nadu government had issued an order, which became public on 22 January, revoking the suspension of the IPS officer.
Singh was charge-sheeted by the Crime Branch Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) in the alleged custodial torture cases.
The revocation would mean the reinstatement of the IPS officer, who had allegedly extracted the teeth of the men in the course of an enquiry.
The allegations were levelled, among others, by Vedha Narayanan, an autorickshaw driver whose teeth were allegedly removed with a plier by the IPS official.
“The case is going on in the court and we don’t know why the officer’s suspension was revoked suddenly,” Narayanan told reporters.
“The state government is giving the job again to the same IPS official who pulled out my teeth. He was not given any kind of punishment for the act and I am afraid of what’s going to happen to us,” he added.
Rajeshwari — the mother of two custodial torture victims, including a minor — said that she lost all hope of getting justice in the case as the state government continues to do everything in favour of the officer.
“After we filed a complaint against Singh, the police registered various cases against one of my sons. Even in the wee hours on Tuesday, the personnel from Vikramasingapuram station visited my house and searched for my son, who is in Thoothukudi. I am planning to vacate my house and shift to some other town,” she told The New Indian Express.
Meanwhile, advocate Maharajan, appearing for some of the victims, contended that Balveer Singh had destroyed crucial evidence in the case.
“The accused officer destroyed crucial evidence, including his plier, gloves and blood-stained shirts of the victims in the custodial torture case. Instead of arresting him, the government has revoked his suspension. This is a betrayal of the victims, who believed that the state government would get them justice. I will move the high court against the state government’s decision,” he was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.
The suspension of the 2020 batch officer, who was booked allegedly for pulling out the teeth of suspects involved in crimes in Vikramasingapuram, Ambasamudram, and Kallidaikurichi police stations, was annulled earlier this week.
The CB-CID had completed the investigation in all four cases and sent a request to the state government to accord sanction to prosecute Singh.
On 15 December, 2023, a Tirunelveli court granted bail to Singh, and 14 other police personnel booked in the four cases were also released on bail.
Turning down a demand to arrest all of them, the court accepted an undertaking from them under Section 88 (power to take bond for appearance) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and released them on bail.
Another victim, who did not want to be named, said he would move the Madras High Court challenging the state government’s decision to cancel the suspension of Balveer Singh.
As many as 15 officers were accused of plucking teeth using pliers and crushing the testicles of suspects — including a minor — who were brought to the Ambasamudram, Kallidaikurichi, and Vikramasingapuram police stations for questioning.
More than 10 men were allegedly subjected to custodial torture.
After the first instance of torture, which allegedly occurred on 10 March last year, came to light, Singh was placed under suspension. The Tamil Nadu government came under fire for not arresting the IPS officer.
The cases against the accused persons were initially registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. However, the SC/ST (PoA) sections were removed.
“The accused police personnel appeared before the court for the first time today. While we are arguing that the court should not let the accused go considering the heinous crime they had committed, the APP (Additional Public Prosecutor) said that they have surety,” advocate Maharajan told South First on 15 December last year.
“How did the APP know that they had surety? The defence counsel should have said it, not the APP,” he added.
“Not sending the accused police officers to judicial custody will enable them to tamper with the evidence. There are materials to be recovered — cutting pliers and blood-stained clothes. How can it be done if they are not remanded in judicial custody?” asked Maharajan.
“We will move the high court against the magistrate’s order,” he added.
The police avoided the main entrance while taking the accused to the court. That move, too, invited criticism.
All the 15 accused persons were served charge sheets in the four custodial torture cases and each charge sheet had about 250 pages.
(With PTI Inputs)
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