Chennai: The XIX Additional Sessions court, Chennai awarded life imprisonment to a former SI and a police constable, now working in Vepry police station, on a charge of murdering a 21-year old youth in their custody at Basin Bridge police station about 26 years ago.
The judge, A. Shanthi, imposed on the accused a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh each and also directed the Government to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family members of the victim.
According to the prosecution, S. Subbiah (72), was working as deputy SI, (now retired under suspension) and C. Varatharaj (58), constable working at the Basin Bridge police station in December 1991. On December 17, 1991, at 9.45 pm, a police team led by Subbiah took P. Prakasam, 21, along with his child, to question him relating to a theft.
The cops attacked him severely in their custody. The accused claimed he fell down from Basin Bridge while fleeing from them and died in the government hospital.
His wife, Amudha and a few elders met him at the police station. Next day, his wife was asked to meet him in the government general hospital, where doctors informed her that Prakasam was dead.
On a complaint from her P. Paulsingh, sub-divisional magistrate and personal assistant to collector, Chennai, conducted a probe and it was revealed that Prakasam and his child were taken to the police station on December 15, 1991, itself. Concealing this, the accused filed a false report claiming that he sustained injuries after he fell down from a railway overbridge.
Based on the complaint, a case against them was registered under section 342, 302, 34 and 201 of the IPC against them. On completion of the trial, the XIX additional sessions court judge, A. Shanthi, sentenced the accused Subbiah and Varatharaj to undergo life imprisonment.
The judge said after having committed a gruesome murder of a person in their custody, they had gone a step further to commit another heinous crime of concocting a false story about the death of that person with an intention to screen them.
The prime accused, Subbiah, gave a special report to the inspector, creating a story as if Prakasam, in his attempt to flee from the police, fell off from Basin Bridge and sustained injuries and ultimately died in the government hospital.
“If that’s so, how come 67 injuries, many of them caused due to attack by a ‘linear object of uniform breadth’ were found on his body had it been only a fall from the bridge?” the judge asked.
By giving false information, he had not only attempted to save his skin and escape from the clutches of law, but also attempted to sidetrack and misguide the course of the investigation, the judge said.
