Protestors in Madurai demand action against cops responsible for 'custodial' death

Chennai, July 17 (IANS) Local people in M Kallupatti police station limits in Madurai continued their protest for the second day alleging that a 30-year-old construction worker, who was taken into custody by the police, died due to custodial torture.

Local people and relatives said that Vedan. M, a construction worker from Seelnayakanpatti, had gone for a movie on Saturday night and while returning home he was picked up by the M Kallupatti police.

Family members said that he was later released by the police but he reached home and complained of uneasiness on early Sunday morning hours. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he passed away.

People protested in front of the M Kallupatti police station alleging that Vedan died due to torture in police custody and that action be taken against the policemen responsible for the custodial torture.

However police officials told IANS that there was no torture inflicted on Vedan and that he died due to cardiac problems.

While speaking to mediapersons, Madurai district superintendent of police, Shiva Prasad, said that Vedan was not tortured. He said that the CCTV visuals also did not show of any police torture on the construction worker.

Maniswamy, a local social worker, while speaking to media persons, said that Vedan was tortured brutally in the police station and added that he was a healthy person and that he died only due to custodial torture. He said that action must be taken against the policemen responsible for the custodial torture and death of Vedan.