Palakkad: On 24 August, a team of police officers led by local SI Sudheesh Kumar, barged into the house of Abdurrahman (18) and Bilal (20) to question them in connection with the physical assault case on RSS worker.
They were later taken into custody and were allegedly tortured in the police custody so much so that Abdurrahman was in hospital for over a week, suffering from serious injuries due to the torture on his genitals, thighs, chest and legs.
In a report published in twocircles.net the advocate of the two brothers, Advocate Mohammed Rashid has recalled how the duo was tortured and had to face the police brutality in the custody. Rashid has also added that the two brothers were unaware of the physical assault on RSS worker and had asserted that they were innocent, to the police personnel.
“When sub-inspector Sudheesh Kumar’s team of nine officers barged into the house, not a single male family member was present. Their younger sister attempted to call her father, but the police threatened that they would pick her up too. They took the boys away without any intimation to the family members. When his family eventually came to know, they called up the police station, but the police denied keeping the youths in their custody.” The website has quoted Rashid as saying.
What transpired in the police custody and the kind of torture the two brother underwent presents a horrific picture of human rights violation by the police officers.
According to Rashid, Abdurrahman recalled his ordeal when he was released after 24-hours. Abdurrahman reportedly added that at least ten police officers started beating them on their feet. He also alleged that they were tied up and 150-200 lashes were inflicted on them. “They stood on his thighs and beat them on the head” Rashid added.
He continued to describe how the violence escalated. “Then, two police officers sat on their chests while the others used a cigarette lighter to burn their genitals. They even sprayed their private parts with pepper spray,” he said.
Equally condemnable was the motive behind torturing them, especially harming their genitals. SI Sudheesh Kumar revealed it himself. “Now, you will not be able to give birth to any more Muslims”, he is reported to have said while in the act.
Consequently, a video was made by Abdurrahman’s friends where he shared the gruesome details of the torture they had suffered. The Police hastened to strengthen the oppressive chokehold around Abdurrahman, this time by penalising his right to free speech. An FIR was slapped against him, on grounds of spreading fake news and communal disharmony, under Sec 153 (A).
Although he has been granted anticipatory bail by the Sessions Court Palakkad, Abdurrahman was dismissed from the hospital only on the 1 September, after being treated for multiple internal injuries and severe blood loss for over a week. Bilal was not granted bail in his hearing on 3 September, the report on the website stated.
“The boys’ mother Hajira has filed written complaints to the Kerala DGP, the CM, the Chairman of NHRC, Palakkad Superintendent of Police, and the District Collector. She expects justice to be delivered to her sons. SI Sudheesh Kumar and his team need to be punished for their crimes”, said Adv. Rashid.
Vartha Bharati spoke to the top police officials of the district to get their version of the story. District Police Chief G Siva Vikram was on leave and was unavailable to take calls when we called him. Palakkad Dy.SP, Manoj Kumar refused to discuss the case or share any related information with the media over phone call and added that the case can be discussed if we can come to his office in person.
District’s Additional Superintendent of Police, Prasob PB, however spoke briefly about the case and rubbished all the allegations labeled against his department. He added that the allegations were botched up against the police team and that the two brothers were not subjected to any torture or brutality in the police custody.
When asked why the two youngsters were picked up in the absence of any male family members and why their sister was threatened to be picked up too, the Addl. SP said “These are only allegations. There’s no truth to it”.
Regarding the boy being admitted to hospital for over one week, he said that is being looked into, and a report will be submitted in this regard adding further course of action will be decided, after the report is submitted.
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Seoul (AP): South Korea's Constitutional Court removed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from office on Friday, ending his tumultuous presidency and setting up an election to find a new leader, four months after he threw South Korean politics into turmoil with an ill-fated declaration of martial law.
The unanimous verdict capped a dramatic fall for Yoon, a former star prosecutor who went from political novice to president in 2022, just a year after he entered politics.
In a nationally televised verdict, the court's acting chief Moon Hyung-bae said the eight-member bench upheld Yoon's impeachment because his martial law decree seriously violated the constitution and other laws.
“The defendant not only declared martial law, but also violated the constitution and laws by mobilizing military and police forces to obstruct the exercise of legislative authority,” Moon said, “Ultimately, the declaration of martial law in this case violated the substantive requirements for emergency martial law.”
“Given the grave negative impact on constitutional order and the significant ripple effects of the defendant's violations, we find that the benefits of upholding the constitution by removing the defendant from office far outweigh the national losses from the removal of a president,” the justice concluded.
Protesters erupt in jubilation and sorrow
At an anti-Yoon rally near the old royal palace that dominates downtown Seoul, people erupted into tears and danced when the verdict was announced. Two women wept as they hugged and an old man near them leapt to his feet and screamed with joy.
The crowd later began marching through Seoul streets. Some people were dressed in cute blue bear costumes, a protest mascot that uses the opposition's colours.
Outside Yoon's official residence, thousands of supporters cried and screamed when they saw the news of the verdict on a giant TV screen. They waved South Korean and U.S. flags and chanted slogans.
“We will absolutely not be shaken!” a protest leader shouted on stage. “Anyone who accepts this ruling and prepares for an early presidential election is our enemy.”
No major violence was immediately reported.
Korea faces an election with deep divisions
An election will be held within two months to repalce Yoon, but a festering national divide over Yoon's impeachment will likely continue and could complicate South Korea's efforts to deal with President Donald Trump's “America First” policies and North Korea's expanding ties with Russia, observers say.
One of Yoon's lawyers, Yoon Kap-keun, called the ruling “completely incomprehensible” and a “pure political decision,” but the former president did not immediately issue a statement. Yoon's ruling People Power Party said it would accept the decision.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's acting leader, in a televised speech vowed to ensure “there are no gaps in national security and diplomacy” and maintain public safety and order. Han was appointed prime minister, the country's No.2 official, by Yoon.
“Respecting the will of our sovereign people, I will do my utmost to manage the next presidential election in accordance with the constitution and the law, ensuring a smooth transition to the next administration,” Han said.
Surveys show Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favorite to win the by-election to choose Yoon's successor. Lee is facing trials for corruption and other charges.
Lee welcomed the ruling and credited the South Korean people for “protecting our democratic republic.”
“The courage of the people who stood in the face of guns, swords and tanks, along with the bravery of troops who refused to obey unjust orders, has led to this great revolution of light,” Lee said.
Crisis started with a night of chaos four months ago
Martial law lasted only six hours, but left behind a political crisis, rattling financial markets and unsettling the country's diplomatic partners. In January, Yoon was separately arrested and indicted by prosecutors on alleged rebellion in connection with his decree, a charge that carries the death penalty or a life sentence if convicted.
Under Yoon's decree, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, hundreds of soldiers were dispatched to the assembly, election offices and other sites. Special operations soldiers smashed windows at the National Assembly and scuffled with citizens gathered to protest, shocking South Koreans and evoking traumatic memories of military rule.
Enough lawmakers, including some from the ruling party, managed to enter the assembly to vote down his decree unanimously.
No major violence occurred during the brief period of martial law, but some senior military and police officers sent to the assembly have testified that Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to block a vote on his decree or to detain his political rivals. Yoon says the troops were deployed to the assembly simply to maintain order.
Yoon, 64, a conservative, was impeached by the liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly on Dec. 14. The assembly accused him of violating the constitution and other laws by suppressing assembly activities, attempting to detain politicians, and undermining peace across the country.
In his final testimony at the Constitutional Court hearing, Yoon said his decree was a desperate attempt to draw public support of his fight against the “wickedness” of the Democratic Party, which had obstructed his agenda, impeached top officials and slashed the government's budget bill. He earlier called the National Assembly “a den of criminals” and “anti-state forces.”
Yoon still faces criminal charges
Some experts say Yoon may have imposed military rule to head off a possible independent investigation into scandals involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee.
Without presidential immunity, Yoon could face other criminal charges, such as abuse of power. He's the first South Korean president to be arrested or indicted while in office.
Yoon served as prosecutor-general under his predecessor, liberal President Moon Jae-in, before joining the now-ruling party in 2021 following disputes with Moon allies. A public image as strong-minded and uncompromising helped him defeat Lee in the close-fought 2022 presidential election. But after becoming president, Yoon has faced criticism that he refused to replace officials implicated in scandals and vetoed many bills passed by the assembly.
On foreign policy, Yoon pushed hard to bolster South Korea's military alliance with the United States and overcome long-running disputes with Japan over historical traumas. He said that a greater Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security partnership is essential to coping with North Korea's growing nuclear threats. Critics of Yoon accused him of unnecessarily provoking North Korea and neglecting relations with China, South Korea's biggest trading partner.