“What if they had killed my son? We wouldn't even have come to know about it," said Vincent whose son, Mukesh (17) was arrested by six policemen in Chennai and later left him injured after realizing they had arrested the wrong person.
His mother, Sumathi (37) talking to The News Minute said, “On March 11, 2016, four policemen entered our house at 11 pm in Kannagi Nagar, Thoraipakkam and asked for my younger son Mukesh and said that we have to send him with them. We repeatedly asked them the reason but they did not tell. They even hit my husband. We asked them where they are taking my son, they replied, ‘Mylapore police station’.”
From 11 pm to 1 am, Mukesh’s family was searching for him. “We went to Abhiramipuram police station, Mylapore police station and Velachery police station, but could not find my son anywhere. Around 1 am, my elder son Vignesh called and told us that Mukesh had returned home, but he had injuries on multiple places on his body.”
Narrating the incident, Sumathi said, “He told us that he was blind-folded and his hands were tied at the back. Mukesh overheard a conversation and understood that he had been taken somewhere near the Velachery railway track. They suddenly got a call saying that they had picked up the wrong person. But they still hit him up on his head, back, legs and hands. They also said let us kill him but Mukesh begged them to leave him. The policemen left him near SRP tools, gave him Rs.10 and asked him to return home. They also threatened him not to tell anyone about this incident or else his mother and sister will be harmed by them.”
Mukesh hails from a poor family and is a Class VII dropout. They family lives in a one-room house at Kannagi Nagar in Thoraipakkam. Mukesh, his elder brother Vignesh and father Vincent are daily wage labourers and work in Pudupet, Mount Road.
The family took Mukesh immediately to Royappetah Government Hospital. Around 4 am, Mukesh was discharged from the hospital saying that he was completely alright. “The doctor wrote that my son was hit by four men, but they did not mention policemen. They did not even give us CT scan and X-ray reports,” said Sumathi.
Mukesh (17) is currently admitted in a clinic in Sholinganallur. “There are swellings on his head and hand. One of his fingers is badly injured. He cannot even talk properly. He has not eaten anything from Friday night,” said Sumathi.
She added this incident has affected her son not just physically, but mentally too. She looked worried. “I’m very upset, why should my son suffer when he has not done anything wrong?,” asked Sumathi.
The family has filed a complaint at Police Commissioner’s office in Egmore. The police officials told the family that they have begun the investigation and will be taking action against the accused in the case.
Sumathi is scared after this incident. “I’m scared look how they took my son away and beat him up,” she said. She was quietly sitting next to her son in the clinic staring at his injuries.