IPS officer Balveer Singh, who has been at the centre of multiple custodial torture allegations from his tenure in Ambasamudram in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli, has been moved from his posting at the Tamil Nadu Special Police (TSP) battalion stationed in Tihar Jail to the Special Task Force (STF) in Erode. The change in assignment surfaced only after photos and videos from his farewell event in Delhi began circulating online. Balveer, however, has not yet taken charge of his new role.
The state government’s decision comes days after the Madras High Court granted an interim stay on the trial court proceedings in four custodial torture cases registered against him by the Tirunelveli CB-CID. Justice Shamim Ahmed granted the interim stay in response to a plea by Balveer challenging the Judicial Magistrate’s order framing charges.
The STF post to which he has been shifted was previously held by an SP-rank officer but has now been downgraded to accommodate Balveer.
Balveer was accused of human rights violations in 2022 after several suspects from Ambasamudram accused him of brutal assault during interrogation, including allegations that he used cutting pliers and stones to break their teeth. Most victims were poor and from marginalised backgrounds. Investigations also revealed that Balveer allegedly tortured a minor from the Scheduled Caste community who was in police custody.
Multiple cases were subsequently filed by the CB-CID, following which Balveer was suspended and left out of the promotion panel for elevation from ASP to SP.
After the revocation of his suspension, he was posted as deputy commandant with the TSP battalion in Delhi, stationed at Tihar Jail before this latest transfer.
According to LiveLaw, in his petition before the High Court, Balveer maintained that the accusations stem from what he describes as his “stern” handling of recurring law-and-order issues in Ambasamudram, a region he characterised as prone to caste tensions and drug-related crimes. He claimed that those affected by his policing methods had levelled “false and baseless” allegations, which were later amplified by “media propaganda” and then taken up by additional complainants during a high-level inquiry. He also argued that the CB-CID’s final report contained inconsistencies and contradictions, and that the trial court had proceeded “mechanically” while framing charges.
Balveer further contended that the charges were framed in Tamil, despite his unfamiliarity with the language, without providing him translated witness statements, in violation of Section 281(4) of the CrPC, the LiveLaw report added. He said the lack of translation deprived him of a fair opportunity to prepare his defence. He also argued that the investigating agency had not adhered to the CB-CID manual’s requirement to photograph or videograph the scene of crime, yet the trial court relied on the final report to frame charges.