Daijiworld Media Network - Kollam

Kollam, Sep 5: Even as Kerala reels under public outrage over the recently surfaced video of a Youth Congress leader being assaulted inside a Thrissur police station, another shocking allegation of custodial torture has emerged from Kollam district.

According to reports, Anil Kumar (50), a resident of Chozhiyakode in Kulathupuzha, has accused the local police of brutally assaulting him and attempting to extract his teeth with a pair of pliers while in custody.

The alleged incident occurred after police stopped Anil Kumar and his friends on charges of consuming alcohol. In his complaint to the Kollam Rural SP, Anil claimed he was first beaten inside a police vehicle and later inside the Kulathupuzha Police Station, where officers tried to pull out his teeth. He said he lost consciousness during the ordeal.

The victim later sought treatment at the Punalur Government Taluk Hospital, where doctors surgically removed three damaged teeth.

The Kulathupuzha Police, however, strongly denied the allegations. They maintained that Anil Kumar was taken into custody only for creating a nuisance under the influence of alcohol and was released on bail the same day “without any health complaints.”

The fresh charge comes at a time when the police force is already on the backfoot following the release of CCTV footage showing Youth Congress leader V S Sujith being thrashed by officers inside the Kunnamkulam Police Station, Thrissur. That incident, which took place in April 2023, resurfaced recently after a two-year RTI battle, sparking widespread protests from the Opposition.

Sujith, who sustained multiple injuries including partial hearing loss, has alleged he was beaten for questioning police intimidation of his friends.

The back-to-back revelations of alleged custodial torture have now triggered demands for stringent action and accountability within the Kerala Police.