The custodial death of a Dalit youth in Chennai again sparks outrage and highlights the urgent need to humanise the police force.
The custodial death of a Dalit youth in Chennai again sparks outrage and highlights the urgent need to humanise the police force.
Vignesh, a 25-year-old who earned his living by taking tourists for horse rides at the Marina Beach, Chennai died in police custody at G5 Secretariat Colony Police Station. This incident is alleged to have taken place on the night of April 18, 2022 and the death in the early hours of April 19, 2022 morning. As per the autopsy report, Vignesh was found to have 13 injury marks (bruises) on his body. Six policemen have been arrested by the Crime Branch-CID police on May 07, 2022.
Human rights activist Henri Tiphange said that a murder case has to be filed against the police officers responsible (who are suspended), the station house officer and those were on night rounds.
“Witnesses and victims need protection and assurance from the Tamil Nadu government,” Tiphange said.
காவல் சித்ரவதைக்கு எதிரான கூட்டியக்கம் வாக்குமூலங்கள் சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்ற தலைமை நீதிபதி, மாநில மனித உரிமைகள் ஆணையத்தின் தலைவர், தமிழ்நாடு மாநில சட்டப்பணிகள் ஆணைக்குழு தலைவர் ஆகியோருக்கு அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கின்றன.
சென்னையில் சமீபத்தில் நிகழ்ந்த விக்னேஷ் என்ற இளைஞரின் லாக்அப் மரணம் தொடர்பாக, பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்கள், சாட்சிகள் ஆகியோரின் வாக்குமூலங்களைக் காவல் சித்ரவதைக்கு எதிரான கூட்டியக்கம் சென்னையில் இன்று வெளியிட்டது.
A joint action committee against custodial torture comprising advocates and social workers on Saturday released a fact-finding report on the custodial of death of Vignesh, 25, in a city police station recently and said that it was a clear case of death due to custodial torture. They demanded the arrest of police personnel responsible for his death.
After nearly 10 days of Vignesh's alleged custodial death, the key eyewitness in the case and the deceased's family gave details about the case and demanded justice.
The deceased's counsel too raised a few questions and demanded the police officers be suspended. The eyewitness, auto driver Prabhu, who was taking Vignesh and Suresh alias Ramesh, recalls the horrors he faced.
Vignesh, 22, of Pattinapakkam, chennai, died unexpectedly while being questioned at the police station. In this context, People's watch Director Henry Thieben, human rights activists Sudharamalingam, BS Ajitha, and Jimraj Milton told reporters in chennai yesterday on behalf of the Joint Movement Against police Torture: "In this case, a murder case should be registered against the police concerned, and a police inspector should be arrested under the Prevention of Torture Act."
Chennai: While the custodial death of V Vignesh is being investigated by a judicial magistrate and the CB-CID separately, the forum for Joint Action Against Custodial Torture-Tamil Nadu, made the brothers of the deceased, and the auto driver, narrate the ordeal since Vignesh’s death.
‘Police forced us to accept cash to see Vignesh’s face’
