News Tamil Nadu

Ambasamudram ASP Balveer Singh Shifted To Vacancy Reserve Following Custodial Torture Allegation

March 27, 2023
The Commune

In Tamil Nadu, a number of men from the Ambasamudram police division have come forward claiming that Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Balveer Singh IPS tortured them through removing their teeth with cutting pliers. They also alleged that the ASP tortured two more by crushing their testicles.

Tirunelveli Collector KP Karthikeyan stated he had issued an order for an inquiry to be performed by the Cheranmahadevi sub-divisional magistrate-cum-sub-collector in accordance with police standing orders.

In a video shared by Thinakaran Rajamani, a journalist based in South Tamil Nadu, Chellappa who runs a mutton stall in Ambasamudram alleged that ASP Balveersingh damaged his teeth with blue metal and beat him and his two siblings at the Ambasamudram police station earlier this month.

He went on to say that while ASP Balveeer Singh arrived at the station in uniform, he changed into shorts and gloves before attacking them.

He further said in the video, “My brothers, three relatives and I had a dispute with another group over a love affair. when they tried to attack us with weapons, we handed over members of that group, with their weapons to the police. However, the police took us along with the three miscreants who tried to assault us to the Ambasamudram police station. Two police officers, including the ASP’s gunman, held me while Singh used blue metal to harm my teeth and injure my lips. He stuffed stones into my mouth and beat my face.”

He added, “Then the ASP asked me to sit while he called my brothers and relatives. They were also beaten and their teeth were removed with cutting pliers. One of my siblings lost three teeth. Our lips were dripping with blood. We pleaded with him not to beat my brother Mariappan because he was recently married. But as soon as we said that, he crushed my brother’s testicles with his left hand and kicked him on his chest.”

He further added, “Mariappan was so traumatised by the assault that he no longer gets out of bed. He only drinks juice once a day because he is unable to consume. Singh broke the teeth of six people on our side and two people on the other side. We had to remain in our underwear while being thrashed with a lathi. He threatened us to not to tell the judge about the assault and he asked us to say we were hurt when we fell off our bikes or from a coconut tree.”

Another victim Vetha Narayanan (49), an auto driver alleged that the Ambasamudram ASP Balveer Singh removed his tooth and damaged his ear with cutting plier in Vikramasingapuram police station. He added that he had been separated from his wife for the past four years and that due to a small dispute with his wife he was taken to police station based on her complaint, where he endured the torture.

After public outrage Balveer Singh IPS, ASP, Ambasamudram, accused of custodial torture, was shifted to Vacancy Reserve(VR) by DGP. A DSP has been made in charge for Ambasamudram division. Balveer Singh is a 2020-batch IPS officer with a BE degree from IIT-Bombay. He was posted to Ambasamudram as ASP on October 15, 2022.

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.