In Thiruvananthapuram, Sathankulam, Chicago or anywhere else in the world, the police in uniform to a large extent symbolize injustice.
The force is widely considered as prejudiced against the underprivileged and the minorities. They are insensitive towards the people as they try to be loyal to the political parties in power.
The three recent incidents, cited below, illustrates that it is already too late for reforms in the police force the world over.
The custodial death of a trader P.Jeyaraj and his son J.Benniks at Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu in June this year had rocked the nation.
The father-son duo underwent indescribable torture at the hands of the police.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charge sheet had revealed that Jeyaraj and his son Benniks, turn by turn, were made to bow down on a wooden table, in underwear. Their hands and legs were held by the police personnel, who were accused in the case so that the duo was not able to defend themselves.
While holding them in that position the father-son duo were subjected to severe beatings with lathi on buttocks, back and other parts of the body.
Though Jeyaraj begged that he has blood pressure and diabetic condition, the police paid no heed and continued their brutal torture with intervals in between 7.45 pm on June 19 to 3 am on June 20 this year.
During the process of brutal torture, the police officers asked Benniks to clean the blood that had oozed from their wounds and spilt on the floor of the Sattankulam police station with his vest.
Despite all the torture and wounds, on the morning of June 20, Dr N.Vinila, Medical Officer at a government hospital in Sattankulam declared Jeyaraj and Benniks were 'fit for remand.' The blood-stained clothes of Jeyaraj and his son were changed twice before they were taken to the hospital and the court.
The charge sheet was filed against nine police officers namely, then Sattankulam inspector of police S.Sridhar, sub-inspectors K.Balakrishnan and P.Raghuganesh, head constables S.Murugan and A.Samadurai and four police constables. A sub-inspector of police died during the investigation.
A statement issued by the CBI said that the central agency had registered two cases on July 7, 2020, related to the allegations of custodial death of two traders (father-son P. Jeyaraj and J. Benniks) in Kovilpatti. A CBI team camped continuously at Madurai and worked untiringly in the cases even though the odds of COVID 19 pandemic.
CBI investigation revealed that the father-son duo was arrested in the evening of June 19 and allegedly tortured at the Sathankulam Police Station by the accused in the evening as well as in the intervening night, consequent to which both of them succumbed to the injuries and died in the intervening night of June 22 & 23.
Lately, in Thiruvananthapuram, in a case of insensitiveness from the part of the police, a couple suffered serious burns and succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
It was on December 22 that Rajan, 47, and his wife Ambili, 40, of Neyyatinkara, resisted the move by the police and revenue officials to evict them from their house citing a court order based on an allegation of encroachment.
Rajan and Ambili drenched themselves in petrol and threatened to immolate themselves if the police proceeded further. Rajan had a lighter in his hand. When the police tried to prevent him from taking the drastic step, the lighter accidentally lit the fire and Rajan and Ambili were set ablaze. Both suffered serious burn injuries and passed away on Monday.
"The heart-wrenching incident got widely noticed across the state after the couple’s children alleged that a police officer was responsible for the immolation. Many including leaders of rival political parties had come out criticising the police," a report in The News Minute says.
The funeral of Ambili, who passed away on Monday, took place on Tuesday night. Rajan who died on Sunday night was buried in the premises of the house. In a video which has gone viral, the couple’s younger son 17-year-old Renjith can be seen lashing out at the police while trying to dig a hole to bury his father. This was before the death of Ambili. In the video, a police officer can be seen asking the boy to stop digging. Renjith points a finger at him and says feelingly, “Only my mother is left. It is all of you that killed my father, now won’t you allow me to bury him,” and continues to dig the grave. Hours after this incident, their mother Ambili also succumbed to the injuries.
Later on Tuesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the government will take over protection of the children.
Hundreds Protest Chicago Raid Of Naked Black Woman's Home
According to a report by Jon Greig for the Blavity News, the harrowing video of Chicago police officers mistakenly raiding and rifling through Anjanette Young's home has sparked protests in Chicago on Sunday, with hundreds of Black women showing out to express their outrage about the situation, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.
The women were joined at the Chicago Police headquarters protest by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, as well as Reps. Bobby Rush and Danny Davis.
“We just wanted to just say, in our outrage and our anger, ‘Hey girl, we with you.’ That’s what we need. Black women...we’ve always been that foundation, that glue for the family. And so to see us all come together and respond to demand fair justice for another sister... that was great, that’s awesome,” said organizer Mary Russell-Gardner in an interview with the Sun-Times.
Exclusive bodycam video from the 2019 raid on Young's home, showed more than seven officers barge into her home heavily armed and screaming, according to footage released by CBS2. Young was in the shower when they broke in. Officers left her handcuffed, naked and dripping wet as the men searched through her things and demanded answers. She was standing naked in front of the men for 15 minutes before a woman officer arrived and took her to her room where she could change.
The officers eventually were forced to apologize because they had the wrong address. The video also showed officers admitting that the warrant may not have gotten official approval from superiors.
ENDS.
