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In a rare instance of conviction for custodial torture, three police personnel at the Kotturpuram Police Station were sentenced to life imprisonment for brutally assaulting a 36-year-old man with lathis in 2009.The victim, who had been arrested on the charge of drinking and causing public nuisance, allegedly refused to undergo a breathalyser test, leading to the assault that ultimately caused his death.Around 8 p.m. on March 12 in 2009, the victim, Palani, alias Kutti Palani, 36, was picked up by a Kotturpuram police team, allegedly for causing a ruckus.He suffered at least 20 injuries to his body, and died soon after reaching his home at 11.45 p.m. The case was booked by the then Kotturpuram Police Inspector, following a complaint from Ranganathan, Palani’s father, the next morning.Subsequently, the District Magistrate-Cum-Collector directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate to conduct an inquest over the body of the deceased.The Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s report confirmed that Palani was subjected to physical torture by the police personnel, and that as his condition worsened, he was permitted to return home after getting a bond from his father around 11.30 p.m.The report said Palani died at about 3 a.m. due to shock, pain, and suffering from the assault.After careful examination of the report, and following the recommendation of the Collector, the government launched a criminal prosecution.Subsequently, five persons — Sub-Inspector P. Arumugam, and head constables M. Manoharan, B.N. Harihara Subramanian, Vincent, and Ezhumalai — were named as accused and faced murder charges. Two of them died during the trial.Pronouncing the judgment in the case on Monday, VI Additional Sessions Judge V. Pandiaraj found Arumugam, Manoharan and Harihara Subramanian guilty of murder. They are above 60 years.The judge said: “It shows that the deceased was subjected to severe beating. The accused knew that their brutal assault by lathis on various parts of the body of Palani was so dangerous that it could, in all probabilities, cause death.”“All the three accused in this case are not illiterate. Furthermore, they worked in the police force and carried out their duty in law and order. They know that they cannot take law into their hands and break the same by exceeding their limit,” Mr. Pandiaraj said in his order.The court also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on each of them. Published - September 26, 2025 01:09 am IST
