Ramesh (a) “Allah” Ramesh, resident of tsunami housing colony, Semmancherry, was picked up by the special team led by Assistant Commissioner of police (Puzhal) S. Mannar Mannan and Red Hills inspector Sampath on 18^th August 2014 night. Ramesh was interrogated by Inspector Sampath till Wednesday afternoon in police

custody and was taken to Semmanchery to recover the _­thrashed and forced to admit to the crime. Around 4:30pm on Wednesday, Ramesh swooned and was rushed to a clinic in Red Hills where the doctors advised the police to move him to the Stanley Medical College Hospital. Ramesh was taken to Stanley, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Campaign for Custodial Justice and Abolition of Torture (CCJAT) constituted a fact finding team to investigate the truth behind Ramesh’s sudden death.

Facts and Sequence of the case:

• Ramesh (a) “Allah” Ramesh S/o Parasuraman, was 32 years old. Ramesh had 13 pending cases against him in various police stations in the city, mostly in southern suburbs and was detained under Goondas Act twice earlier. Ramesh came out of prison only in July, 2014. As per the statement issued by Police Ramesh was detained on 20/8/14 by Red hills Police. But according to victim Ramesh’s mother Muniyamma Ramesh was picked by Semmenchery Police on the 3^rd week of Tamil month Aadi. That is approximately on 02.8.2014. It means victim Ramesh was kept in illegal custody for more than 18 days before he died in the police custody.
• Ramesh’s brother and mother were illegally detained by the police from the midnight of 20.8.2014 to 21.8.2014 evening. Ramesh’s mother live in Semmenchery. After Post-Mortem the Police forcefully took Ramesh’s body to Royapuram Crematorium and burnt Ramesh’s body in a hurry.
• When the ponneri Judicial Magistrate II, Maheswari enquired Ramesh’s mother and brother the policemen stood behind them and forced them to lie that Ramesh was sick earlier and died because of his sickness. Ramesh body was not shown to his two small sons

Findings:

• Ramesh was not produced before any court or magistrate.
• In the meantime Ramesh’s mother Muniyamma went to Semmenchery Police Station, Kannagi nagar Police Station; Neelankarai Police Station, Palavakkam Assistant Commissioner Office, Adyar Police Station and Marina Police Station searching for Ramesh. Ramesh mother and brother were warned by the police not to tell anyone that Ramesh was beaten to death by them. They threatened that they two will be arrested under a fabricated case if they accuse the police of killing Ramesh.
• Ramesh’s mother and brother were not allowed by the police to inform their relatives about Ramesh’s death.
• Vimala, Assistant Commissioner of Madhavaram Police Station and Inspector Sampath together gave Rs.2 lakh to Ramesh’s mother and were forced to say that Ramesh was sick. Ramesh’s body was forcibly taken to Royapuram by the police and was cremated there.