A senior IAS officer is commencing an investigation into the Ambasamudram custodial torture case in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli, on Monday, April 17. This will be the second phase of probe by a senior Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer after the victims again said that they will not depose for a second time before an investigating officer as an inquiry by the Additional Divisional Magistrate, Ambasamudram, Mohammed Shabeer Alam, was already conducted and a record submitted as well.
Addressing the media, Nellai District Collector Karthikeyan said that IAS officer Amudha will be conducting the investigation on Monday and Tuesday. The case came to light after a group of youths complained that they were taken into custody by the Ambasamudram police over a minor scuffle.
They alleged that the then Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ambasamudram, Balveer Singh took each of them into a room and plucked their teeth out with other policemen holding their legs and arms. The allegations created a major uproar, leading to Balveer Singh's suspension and transfer of Superintendent of Police Saravanan to the police headquarters in Chennai. There were also allegations that Balveer Singh, an IPS officer of 2020 batch and a graduate of IIT Bombay, had also crushed the testicles of two people who were taken into custody.
IAS Officer Amudha reached Ambasamudram on April 10 for the high-level inquiry and had met the Collector and Additional District Magistrate who had earlier investigated the matter. However, the victims did not depose before the IAS officer stating that they had deposed before Mohammed Shabeer Alam earlier and would lose their jobs if they take leave and meet the inquiry officer.