Police accused of torturing man in custody, trying to pull out teeth with pliers in Kerala

Kollam (Kerala), Sep 5 (IANS) As the row over the custodial torture of a Youth Congress leader in Thrissur continues, a similar case emerged in Kerala’s Kollam district on Friday.

Kulathupuzha Police Station in Kollam district, in the southern part of the state, has come under scanner after allegations of custodial torture, according to a local report.

The report said the incident took place on August 31, when police allegedly attempted to extract the teeth of a 50-year-old man, Anil Kumar of Chozhiyakode in Kulathupuzha, using a pair of pliers.

The victim later underwent treatment at the Punalur Government Taluk Hospital, where the damaged teeth were removed, the report claimed.

The Kulathupuzha police denied any custodial torture, stating that he was taken into custody for creating a nuisance under the influence of alcohol. The police dismissed his claim of attempted teeth extraction, claiming that he was released on bail the same day and showed no health issues at the time.

In his complaint to the Kollam Rural Superintendent of Police, Anil Kumar stated that the police stopped him while he was going home with friends on August 31 on charges of having consumed liquor. He alleged that the police detained him after he objected to their conduct, the media report said.

Anil Kumar alleged that he was assaulted inside the police vehicle and at the station, where the cops tried to pull out his teeth with a pair of pliers. He said he lost consciousness during the ordeal and was taken to the Kulathupuzha Government Hospital.

However, Anil Kumar was later admitted to the Punalur Taluk Hospital after feeling unwell, where three teeth were removed surgically.

The latest custodial torture allegation has surfaced amid the Opposition protests and public outrage over a recently released video showing Youth Congress leader V.S. Sujith being assaulted by cops inside the Kunnamkulam Police Station in Thrissur, leaving the police on the defensive.

The incident occurred on April 6, 2023, but the CCTV footage surfaced only after a two-year legal effort under the Right to Information Act.

Sujith, president of the Chowannur Mandalam Youth Congress in the district, alleged that the cops beat him inside the station, leaving him with serious injuries, including hearing loss in one ear.

Reports said the altercation began when he intervened as police threatened his friends by the roadside; officers then took him to the station in a jeep and assaulted him.

--IANS

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