Chennai: Martin Premraj, the suspended inspector whose alleged custodial torture at Pallikonda police station in Vellore led to the death of a Muslim youth and subsequent riots at Ambur by members of various Muslim outfits, is yet to be questioned by the CB-CID police.“He is officially on medical leave and under suspension. He is not at home. His mobile is switched off. We have summoned him,” CB-CID sources said.
The state police headquarters had placed him and six other police personnel under suspension after Shameel Ahmed, picked up for questioning in connection with a woman-missing case, died in a government hospital here last Friday. Before suspension, the inspector was transferred to prohibition enforcement wing. The case related to the death of Shameel Ahmed was handed over to the CB-CID for further probe. A team led by CB-CID SP is currently investigating the case and so far they had taken statements from suspended police personnel except inspector Martin Premaraj and special sub inspector Sabarathinam.
The police had detained Shameel Ahmed for questioning from June 15 to 18 after which he developed serious health complications and died last Friday. He was picked up after husband of Pavithra, a former workplace colleague of Shameel, lodged a complaint saying that his wife was missing. The woman is still missing. Meanwhile the police had arrested as many as 118 people in connection with the riot in Ambur on last Saturday night. “Police are picking up people randomly and it has created a scare among community,” a member of a Muslim outfit told this newspaper.
