The Madras high court has ordered treatment in a private super-specialty hospital to a crime suspect whose teeth was broken, lips torn and legs fractured allegedly because of police torture.
Justice K. Chandru made it clear that it was only an interim arrangement and the question as to who should pay for the treatment will be decided later.
The judge posted to April 25 further hearing of the petition filed by Chitra, who sought better treatment for her brother C. Dhanasekaran, who was was arrested by the New Washermenpet police and admitted in the Government Royapettah Hospital on March 16.
The officials claimed that he had suffered fractures in a fall from the height of 40 feet.
However, making a detailed description of the circumstances and the manner in which her brother had suffered the injuries, Chitra in her affidavit alleged that her brother’s legs were wrapped with wet gunny bags and tied with ropes before being beaten with casuarinas sticks.
Two policemen stretched his legs and stood on his knee and ankle joints.
He was hit with the butt of rifles and pistol, leaving him with broken teeth and torn lips, she alleged. He was kept gagged with cotton so that his cries could not be heard by any one, she added.
To verify her claims, Justice Chandru appointed advocate V. Lakshmi Narayanan to meet Dhanasekaran in hospital and record his statement.
The advocate filed a report that more or less tallied with the allegations made by Chitra in her affidavit.
Following this, the judge referred him to the private hospital for treatment.