17-year-old boy claims custodial violence by police in Kerala

Kottayam: A 17-year-old boy was allegedly beaten up by police in this southern district of the state leading to the District Police Chief on Thursday ordering a probe to ascertain the facts of the incident.

A senior police officer of the district said that the Kottayam SP has asked the DySP of Pala to find out what actually happened and submit a report during the day.

Further course of action would be based on the report, the officer said.

The alleged custodial violence took place at Pala police station here on Sunday, October 29.

The injured boy, who is presently hospitalised, told a TV channel that he had gone by car to meet a friend in Pala when the police stopped his vehicle and allegedly asked him to hand over what he was carrying.

"I told them I did not have anything and that I was going to meet a friend. But they did not believe me. They took me to the station in their vehicle and there I was beaten up and abused by some of the officers and asked to hand over what I was carrying."

"I repeatedly told them I had nothing with me. After they beat me up, they threatened to implicate me in some unresolved case if I told anyone what happened," the boy alleged.

The boy's mother, who was present in the hospital, told the channel that the family would not give up the issue and will pursue the matter.

His mother demanded justice for what happened to her son and said she will not rest until they got it.

She said that doctors have advised complete bed rest for her son for several days as there is a serious injury to his spine.

"I cannot watch my son lying here like this. I cannot accept this. He is only 17 years old. He has been advised complete bed rest for some time by doctors. So I want justice and I will go the distance for that."

"He was supposed to look after us. If he is like this, how much time would it take for him to get better? We are extremely pained and saddened by what has happened," she said.

The police denied the allegations of the family and said that the boy was stopped and questioned only for driving without a licence.