SHRC tells TN govt to pay Rs 6 lakh to actor Karthi fans assaulted by cops

The State Human Rights Commission has directed TN government to pay Rs 6 lakh to 3 brothers, members of actor Karthi fan club in Thoothukudi. They were assaulted by the police after one of them allegedly refused to pay a bribe for sticking posters on the wall, ahead of the release of the actor’s movie, Thozha, in 2016.

K Kavaskar, an advocate moved the SHRC stating that his brothers — Venkatesh, Venkatakodi and Srinivas — along with other members of the fan club, were sticking posters near the old bus stand when a constable who came there demanded bribe.

When the trio refused, they were taken to a police outpost, and allegedly assaulted by other policemen. Kavaskar alleged that there was previous enmity, as his sister had refused to compromise with an auto driver in a road rage case and the sub-inspector wanted to avenge it.

“The brothers were detained, stripped and assaulted. The inspector also made casteist remarks against Venkatakodi,” the petitioner had stated.

In response, police denied the allegations and said that it was the brothers who assaulted a constable and that they have several criminal cases against them.

After the submissions, D Jayachandran, member, SHRC held that there was human rights violation and directed the government to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to Venkatakodi, whose arm was broken and Rs 50,000 to each brother.

The commission also recommended disciplinary action against the cops, initiate criminal action against them and recover the compensation amount from them.