Tamil Nadu appoints IAS officer to probe custodial torture allegations

“We have directed for the inquiry report to be submitted within a month,” the government statement read.

The Tamil Nadu government on Friday ordered senior IAS officer P Amudha to conduct an investigation into the alleged custodial torture case in Tirunelveli district in which IPS officer Balveer Singh has been suspended. Earlier, over a dozen men had alleged that Singh, an assistant superintendent of police in Ambasamudram police station, had pulled out their teeth among other claims of torture. Two men had alleged that Singh hit them on genitals and a family had said that two minors, aged 17 and 16, were also taken into custody and beaten up.

Two men had alleged that Singh hit them on genitals and a family had said that two minors, aged 17 and 16, were also taken into custody and beaten up. (Representative photo)

Cheranmahadevi sub-collector and sub-divisional magistrate Mohamed Shabbir Alam who started recording the statements of complainants on March 26 has submitted a preliminary investigation report on April 3 before the district magistrate in Tirunelveli, the government said.

“Based on this report, and the fact that similar complaints have occurred in other police stations under Ambasamudram’s limits, it has been recommended to the Government on April 4 to order an inquiry to be led by a high ranking officer,” a statement from the Tamil Nadu government read.

Based on this, the state government tasked senior bureaucrat P Amudha, who is presently the principal secretary of rural development department, to conduct a detailed investigation into the complaints. “We have directed for the inquiry report to be submitted within a month,” the government statement read.

Meanwhile, the human rights activists have been demanding a first information report (FIR) to be filed against Singh. Besides suspending Singh, the police department has taken action against nine police personnel.

On April 5, six officers were placed on vacancy reserve — S Chandramohan (inspector, Ambasamudram police station), B Rajakumari (inspector, Kallidaikurichi Circle), A Perumal (inspector, V K Puram Circle), N Sakthi Natarajan (sub-inspector, Ambasamudram sub-division), M Santhanakumar (special branch staff, Ambasamudram police station) and V Manikandan (additional special branch staff, Ambasamudram).

On April 3, Tirunelveli superintendent of police (SP) P Saravanan was put on compulsory wait. A day before that, two constables – Bogan and Rajkumar – were also transferred to the armed reserve after the victims alleged police were pressuring them to withdraw their statements.The allegations of custodial torture came to light on March 26 when a few men showed their missing teeth in videos and photos and accused Singh of pulling out their teeth and beating them in custody on March 10.

Singh, a 2020 IPS batch officer, was first put on vacancy reserved and later suspended on March 29 the orders of chief minister M K Stalin.