Assaulted woman wins case in SHRC, gets Rs 3 lakh compensation

Chennai: The State Human Rights Commission directed four police personnel in Madurai district to pay compensation of Rs 3 lakh to a woman assaulted by them in custody. The policemen undressed and assaulted her five years ago to force her to confess to charges of kidnapping a new-born baby.  

In her petition, V. Jaya submitted that she worked as a sweeper in the Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai on contract basis. She resigned her job in 2010. On July 10, 2013 she was summoned to Mathichiam police station, Madurai in connection with the kidnapping of a child from the government hospital.

Inspector Jayaraman accused her of assisting in the kidnap. Selvaraj, SI, Alagupandi, head constable and Vidhyabathi, threatened her to confess to the charge. When she refused, they removed her saree and assaulted her. She was attacked with lathi on the thighs. They beat her on her private parts with lathis. Unable to bear the pain she fainted.

She was taken to Ramanathapuram, Ervadi and other places. She was confined in a separate cell on July 14, 2013.  She drank phenyl kept in the police station toilet. The next day as she was in a critical stage she was admitted in the government hospital, Madurai, and treated as an in-patient for a week. They continued to hunt her even after she was discharged from the hospital.

Denying the allegations, the policemen stated that on June 15, 2013, Perumayi had lodged a complaint stating that her baby boy was kidnapped by a lady in the hospital. Durgadevi and her husband Arockiaraj bought the child because they were childless. They informed that Jaya had taken the child from the hospital and sold it to them. After filing their replies, police did not appear before the Commission for cross-examination.

Judge D. Jayachandran directed police to pay compensation of Rs 3 lakh to Jaya and recommended that government initiate disciplinary action against the policemen for assaulting the innocent woman.