News
Before he dies, Alex in video statement explains his horror at the Vaddukoddai police station
Alex at Jaffna Hostpital: A grab of the video clip that went viral shows some of the injuries he suffered
The death of a 25-year-old youth after he was arrested and allegedly subjected to severe torture by Vaddukoddai police officers during more than 72 hours of detention has sent shock waves through Jaffna, sparking a public outcry for justice.
When the magisterial inquiry over the incident began at the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court on Friday, details emerged about the arrest of the victim along with his friend, the torture methods allegedly used by police officers, and the circumstances that led to his death. A key eyewitness statement and the testimonies of several individuals were presented to the court.
Nagarasa Alex and his 20-year-old friend Suthakaran Thuvarakan were arrested by Vaddukoddai police on November 8 for their alleged involvement in a robbery. It is alleged they were subjected to severe torture while in police custody before being produced in the Mallakam Magistrate’s Court on November 12.
Ruling the incident as ‘homicide’ based on the evidence and testimonies submitted before the Court, Jaffna Magistrate A. A. Anandarajah ordered the arrest of five police officers. While the witness clearly identified the three officers, the judge ordered the police to conduct an identification parade to arrest the other two officers.
The court recorded five testimonies from two prison officers who admitted Alex to the hospital, a key witness, the retired Ayurvedic doctor from whom police sought treatment, and the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) who conducted the post-mortem examination.
At the court hearing, Thuvarakan, the victim’s friend, could not stand due to the alleged torture he underwent at the police station.
While being seated on the witness stand, he detailed the horror.
“I heard Alex screaming for more than three hours after they took him inside the room. Later, they took me in and showed him through a window to warn me that the same thing would happen to me. I saw Alex hanging from a pole without balance. He was tied to the pole with a blue nylon rope,” Thuvarakan told the judge, adding that he, too, was kicked around and beaten up while his face was covered with a polythene bag smelling of petrol.
“Later, I was forced to squat, and one officer jumped and sat on me while another officer was holding my legs,” Thuvarakan testified.
After a lawyer appearing for Thuvarakan told the court that there were attempts to intimidate the key witness and his family, the judge directed police to ensure his safety under the Witness Protection Law and subject him to a medical examination by the Judicial Medical Officer.
Judicial Medical Officer Dr. U. Mayorathan, who carried out the post-mortem examination, told court that there were no natural causes that directly or indirectly contributed to the death, but there were multiple injuries and abrasions on the trunk, both upper and lower limbs.
When asked by Judge Aanadarajah whether the victim’s injuries were a key factor in his eventual death a week later, the JMO responded positively and explained that multiple injuries the victim sustained earlier led to kidney failure, causing his death.
The retired Ayurvedic doctor told the court that after inspecting the victim, he told the two police officers who brought him to his clinic at 9.15 p.m. to admit him immediately at Jaffna Teaching Hospital. He said this was the first time police had brought a suspect to his clinic, and he had decided to treat him on a humanitarian basis as the victim was in severe pain.
Following the death of Alex, video clips surfaced showing Alex at the Jaffna Hospital explaining the cruel torture methods he was subjected to by police officials.
“First, they covered my eyes with a cloth and tied my hand from behind. Then they beat me while someone poured water. Then, they tied me to a pole with my legs hanging about 2–3 feet above the ground. While I remained in this state for more than three hours, they assaulted me and wanted me to confess to the theft. I said no. Later, they put a plastic bag over my face. It smelled of petrol. They then continued to beat me. I fainted later on. I did not know what happened after that,” Alex said in the video that featured his injured wrist and shoulders while seated on a hospital chair.
“I cannot lift my arms. On the first day (8), they did not give me any food. The following day, they took me to their room and gave me food while threatening me not to file any case at the Human Rights Commission. They gave me one peg of arrack. They told me the same thing the next day as well,” said Alex in the video just days before his death.
Senior lawyers N. Srikantha, Anthon Punithanayaham, R.T. Vicknarajah and Sugash Kanagaratnam, Attorney-at-Law appeared on behalf of the affected parties along with more than 40 lawyers from various district bars from the Northern province.
The magisterial inquiry lasted for nearly three hours with tight security around the Jaffna High Court complex. The case is to be taken up for further hearing tomorrow.
| Four police officers remanded | |
| Four of the five police officers allegedly involved in torturing Alex and causing his death were produced in courts yesterday and remanded until Monday, police said. The arrest came after the Jaffna Magistrate Court issued a directive to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)-Jaffna on Friday to arrest five police officers and produce them before the court. The magisterial inquiry into the death found that five police officers were involved in the arbitrary arrest, detention, torture, and ill-treatment of Alex and hid friend at the Vaddukoddai police station. During the inquiry, it was established that both suspects were taken into custody on November 8 and were under police custody until November 12. However, in a statement on Tuesday, the Police Media Division claimed that the arrest took place on November 11 in connection with the robbery of 16.5 sovereign gold and Rs 90,000 from a residence.
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