Chennai: In a riot like situation, members of Muslim outfits set police vehicles on fire besides damaging Ambur police station and pelting stones on vehicles plying on Chennai-Bengaluru highway on Saturday night. Police personnel suffered injuries in stone pelting. Protesters demanded dismissal of policemen linked to the alleged custodial death of Shameel Basha, 26, of Ambur, who was picked up by Pallikonda police on June 15 and detained till 18. He died in Chennai GH on Friday.
26-year-old youth from Ambur, picked up by Pallikonda police team in Vellore on June 15 and detained till 18, died in Chennai general hospital on Friday following health complications he reportedly developed while in police custody. Police had questioned him in connection with a woman missing complaint. The police identified the deceased as Shameel Basha, a resident of Ambur, who was working as a supervisor in a jewellery shop in Erode.
One of his female colleagues, Pavithra, a married woman and resident of Pallikonda went missing in the second week of June after which the police picked up the victim for questioning.“Both were working together at Erode and police believed that Shameel knew about her as they thought both were very close after going through Pavithra’s mobile records,” sources said. Pallikonda inspector Martin Premaraj picked up Shameel, who got married nine months back, on June 15 after Pavithra’s husband lodged a complaint.
According to Shameel’s relatives, the family members produced Shameel Basha at the Pallikonda police station on June 15 after he was summoned for enquiry in connection with this case. “He was kept at the police station for three days until June 18, during the time when he was tortured,” alleged Mr Ghouse, Shameel’s father-in-law, speaking to DC. Mr Ghouse said that Shameel’s left arm was dysfunctional and his other arm was only partially able when he was finally released from the police custody.
The family moved Shameel to the Government general hospital at Vellore and was referred to the Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital where he died on Friday evening. Vellore SP Ms V. K. Senthil Kumari said a magisterial enquiry on the incident is on after a case was registered under CRPC section 176. “The inspector was transferred to prohibition enforcement wing few days back and currently he is on medical leave. Pavithra is still untraceable,” she said when DC contacted her.
