Tamil Nadu - People's watch

Annual Report on Torture
2007
Tamil Nadu
14
not found, the police arrested Govindasami and Satya, Anandan’s wife. They were beaten.
Satya was stripped in the presence of her father-in-law, her hands were tied and her mouth
gagged. She was beaten with sticks and lathis. A police official said he would not rest until
the “criminal” Kuravas were wiped out.
A day later Govindasami and Satya were produced before a magistrate and cases were
filed. Satya was warned against making any complaint to the magistrate. She was taken to
the Vellore Jail after being booked for a petty theft. Govindasami was detained for a few days.
Prakash, Govindasami’s third son, and Manimekalai, his wife, were picked up a few days
later and taken to Vaniyambadi PS, where Prakash was beaten up. Manimekalai, aged 14,
was subjected to sexual assault by an “inspector.”
Three of Govindasami’s Vanniyas neighbours were brought to the Vaniyambadi station and
subjected to violence. Mangamma, a poor widow, said she was sexually assaulted by an
HC. She was released after six weeks. Vijaya, who accompanied Satya when she went to
the station for daily reporting as per the bail conditions, was humiliated.
Govindasami’s first son, Ravi, who was away at his wife’s place in a nearby village when his
father and Satya were taken into custody, was detained and beaten up in March 2002 after
he gave notice of the police assaults to P. Dillibabu, Secretary of the Dharmapuri District unit
of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Anandan is yet to be traced. Govindasami said that he was involved in a case some 18 years
ago, but was acquitted. None in his extended family had ever before been taken into custody.
The police denied the charges of custodial violence.
The government ordered an inquiry by the Revenue Divisional Officer. When the issue was
raised in the State Assembly, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa ordered an inquiry by the Crime
Branch-Criminal Investigation Department. On receipt of its report, in less than a week, the
Chief Minister announced the suspension of two police personnel and ordered the withdrawal
of cases against the victims.
Full story in:
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1912/19120450.htm
Selvaraj and Kathir, Thanjavur
27 July 2002
Dhanapal Kaliyan, a 42-year-old resident of Orathanadu Taluk, Thanjavur District, Tamil
Nadu, was arrested on 27 July 2002, by four police officers from Thanjavur PS. Dhanapal
was beaten severely with lathis.