Chennai: Cop wanted in custodial torture case caught hunting

 

Police sources said that Martin, along with a constable and two others were rounded up at a private estate in Keeriparai, around 35 kms from Nagercoil. “About 50 kgs of deer meat, rifles, ammunition were also picked up from them,” said a police officer.

 

Initially the forest personnel were unaware that one of those secured was the suspended police inspector who was widely criticised for his action, which led to the Ambur riots last month.  

 

C. Martin Premraj, then Pallikonda Inspector, was placed under suspension in mid June after Shameel Basha (26), a youth from Ambur was illegally detained at the police station for four days (June 15-June 19) and meted out custodial torture. 

 

A week later, Shameel died at the Government General hospital in Chennai leading to widespread protests in Ambur. A violent mob set fire to police vehicles and attacked cops in which at least 38 police personnel were injured. As many as 95 persons were arrested for the riots following which TN DGP Ashok Kumar directed the CB-CID to probe into the custodial torture. However, Martin evaded the summons and went into hiding.

 

Shameel was picked up for enquiry in his role in the case of the 24-year-old girl, P. Pavithra who later on told the Madras HC that Shameel was not responsible for her absence, but an unhappy marital life was.

 

 Police said that along with Martin, a retired constable, Christopher of Kanyakumari and two others, Subramani, a jeweller of Pudukadai and Gopalakrishnan, a businessman of Vadaseri, Nagercoil were picked up from the private estate in Keeraparai.