Five cops suspended after alleged custodial death in Chennai

Chennai: Five policemen including the inspector of Kodungaiyur police station were suspended following the alleged custodial death of a person on Sunday. The suspended officers are George Miller Ponraj who is the Inspector of the station, Sub Inspector Kanniyappan, head constables Jayasekhar and Manivannan, and Grade I police constable Sathiyamoorthy.
The victim, Rajashekhar, 39, alias Appu was on the history sheet of Sholavaram police station and was picked up by a special team led by the inspector from Manali in adjacent Tiruvallur district.
The police said he was involved in more than 23 cases of theft, attempt to murder, and other criminal cases and has cases registered in Manali new town, Vyasarpadi, MKB Nagar, Avadi tank factory, and Thirunandiruvar police stations.
According to the police, Rajashekhar confessed to the crime and was kept at the police outpost. He complained of uneasiness and was taken to a private hospital where he was given emergency treatment and was administered injections. He was later taken to the Government Stanley Medical College hospital where he was declared brought dead.
The MKB Nagar police registered a case under Section 176(1)(A) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Metropolitan magistrate S. Lakshmi conducted an inquiry at the Government Stanley Medical College, at Kodungaiyur police station and an outpost, and also with the relatives of the deceased. If a person dies in police custody the nearest magistrate is empowered to conduct an inquiry.
In addition to the inquiry by the magistrate, Assistant Commissioner Sembedu Babu has been appointed as the investigating officer in the case by the police department.