HC summons SP in alleged custodial death case

The Madras High Court today summoned the Superintendent of Police of Dindigul district to appear before it in person on November 25 in connection with a PIL which sought a CBI probe into an alleged torture and custodial death of a man in June 2012.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, gave the direction on the PIL by P Pugalenthi, Director of Prisoners Rights Forum.
The petitioner submitted that one Raja was arrested in connection with a theft case and taken to a police station on June 6, 2012 and brutally assaulted in front of his brother Anbuchelvan.

In the wee hours of June 7, an advocate informed Anbuchelvan that his brother died in Sembatti Police station and his body had been taken to Vedchendur Government Hospital mortuary.
The petitioner alleged that when the family protested, police officials offered Rs four lakhs and requested them to accept the body in a bid to cover up the 'custodial death'.
Submitting that no case had been registered against the police so far, he prayed the court to transfer the investigation to CBI.