Tanur Drugs Case: Kerala High Court Asks DLSA Chairman To Submit Report On Allegations Of Jail Torture

Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan directed thus:

“I am of the considered opinion that the Chairman, Legal Services Authority Kozhikode or any officer deputed by him will visit the jail where the petitioner’s son was detained and take his statement. The Chairman, Legal Services Authority shall file the statement with his conclusions before this Court within three weeks.”

The Court passed the above directions today while considering a criminal writ petition filed by the father of one of the accused persons who was arrested in the Tanur drug case. Five persons were arrested by the police and allegedly taken to 'Torture Centre' in Tanur on July 31. On the next day, one of the accused, Tamir Jifri died in police custody at Tanur Police Station in Malappuram. The petitioner alleged that when he went to visit his son in the jail, his body was full of injuries from wounds caused by jail officials.

During the hearing today, the Court examined the reports filed by the doctors which showed various injuries on the body of the accused persons who were in the jail. The Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the reports of the doctors disclosed injury and pain on shoulder, neck and elbow etc. on the body of the accused persons due to the torture in jail.

The Court on an earlier occasion had directed the Deputy Inspector of Prisons to obtain statements from doctors who treated the accused persons lodged in the jail. The Court also sought report from the Director General of Prisons to conduct an enquiry into the allegations of torture in the jail. The Court on perusing the reports from the Deputy Inspector of Prisons and Director General of Prisons felt that further independent investigation was necessary into the allegations of jail torture against the petitioner’s son and others.

The court has posted the matter after three weeks for the report from the Chairman of Legal Services Authority, Kozhikode.

The Kerala High Court has handed over the investigation into the custodial torture and death of Tamir Jifri to the CBI. The other accused persons had obtained bail and they were released from jail after being in custody for more than 50 days.

The petitioner was represented by Advocate P.V. Jeevesh.

Case title: Aboobacker K V v Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services

Case number: WP(Crl.) 882/2023