Villupuram custodial torture case: வெற்றுக் காகிதத்தில் கையெழுத்து வாங்கிய Police

In April, in the midst of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, an alleged case of police custodial torture and the death of a 48-year-old man in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district went largely unnoticed. The victim Raja was arrested by the police for allegedly selling a small quantity of liquor illegally, and died later in the day on the way to a hospital. His family has alleged he was tortured in custody, while the police have denied these allegations. On Wednesday, May 22, Raja’s body was exhumed for a second post mortem on the orders of the Madras High Court and the final report is awaited. TNM met his family in Villupuram, and found glaring inconsistencies in the police’s version of events. Shabbir Ahmed reports.