The behavior of TN cops towards poor women

Rishi wrote:http://indiankanoon.org/doc/620570/

After sometime two policemen took me to the open space (Mutram) inside the police station. Then they brought my husband and in his presence they stripped me naked. My husband cried in anguish and begged the policemen not to spoil me and do any harm to me and tried to resist the police. He was beaten up by the policemen. The co-lock-up prisoner Subramani who was seeing this from inside the lock-up room (the location of the lock-up room is such that one could see from inside what is happening in the mutram) stated 'she is like a sister, don't spoil her'. For this he was given severe beatings. I was tortured and molested by the policemen. They asked me to kiss them and when I refused they beat my husband severely. Unable to see my husband crying in pain and bear the pain due to torture, I obeyed their orders. The elderly policeman pushed me on the ground and inserted his lathi in my private part; I cried in pain. At that time the sound of a motor cycle coming to the station was heard. I was asked to dress up and elderly policeman threatened me that my husband would be killed if I disclosed the incident to anyone. After sometime the women constables who had gone out came back and they were asked to take me inside. I narrated the incident to them and requested them to help me to be let off; they expressed their inability to do anything.

On 2-6-1992 also myself and my husband were not freed; nor were we produced before the Court. My husband was beaten several times in regard to certain alleged theft. My husband pleaded innocence and begged the police to free him. In the evening the Sub-Inspector asked the women constables whether they had seen the film 'Sembaruthi' When they said no, he said that they could go for the movie, and the women police started off for the movie. I ran towards them and fell at their feet and begged them to take me along with them. When they asked the Sub-Inspector whether they could take her with them, he said 'no' and that I was wanted for interrogation. Then the women constables went out.

Thereafter the policemen took me to a room and my husband was also brought there in handcuff. The policemen including the S.I. were drunk. After my husband was brought inside the room, the S.I. bolted the room from inside. Sensing danger from them, myself and my husband begged them not to do any harm to us and leave us. The policemen stripped me naked. My husband fell at their feet and begged them to leave me. The S.I. gave a kick to my husband and pushed him to a policeman who caught him. One of the other policemen inside the room pushed me down and held my hands and another my legs. I cried and begged them to leave me. The S.I. raped me first in the presence of my husband and after him four other policemen who were in the room raped me one after another. My husband was being beaten severely and he was crying for water. The policemen did not give him water. I was not able to stand up. After great effort I got up and got water for my husband. While going towards my husband to give him water the elderly policeman took the water tumbler from me and said that he would allow me to give water to my husband if I kissed him. When I obeyed him, he again tried to spoil me saying that he wanted to have me once again. I resisted him and tried to bite him in anger. He kicked me and pushed me to the ground and again raped me. I got fainted and did not know what happened thereafter.

On 3-6-1992 when I regained consciousness and woke up I found my self half naked and two women constables lying by my side. I went to the S.I. and asked him about my husband. He said that my husband had been taken to the Court and that I could go to the Court and take my husband out on bail. While going to the women constables, I noticed the lock up room and found none inside. When I asked the women constables about my husband, they also told me that he had been taken to the Court. Then they took me in a van and left me in the Chidambaram Town Police Station.

At about 10.30 a.m. a person who had come there told me that my husband had been taken to the Court and I could go to the Court and take out my husband on bail. I did not believe his words and I was going to my house. On my way to the bus stand I was stopped by an autorickshaw driver and asked whether I was the wife of Nandagopal. When I replied yes, he told me that my husband was beaten to death and there was commotion near the Annamalai Nagar Police Station and it was not good for me to go there. Unable to bear the news, I started crying.