The Cheranmahadevi Sub Collector’s office in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district, issued a notice on Thursday, March 30, asking victims of custodial violence in Ambasamudram by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Balveer Singh to come forward to provide their testimonies on or before April 10. The notice also encouraged people to come forward if they have evidence to support the custodial torture accusations against Balveer Singh and the other police officers at the Ambai police station in Ambasamudram. The notice said that victims will have to go to the Sub Collector’s office to provide their testimonies in writing and could do so from 11 am to 5 pm on the mentioned dates.

The issue of custodial violence came to light when three men from Ambasamudram shared their experiences of the torture they experienced in a video which began doing the rounds on social media. One of the men, Chellappa, said that he and eight other men were taken to the Ambai police station and were beaten with lathis. The men in the video also said that Balveer Singh broke their teeth using stones and a cutting plier. One of Chellappa’s brothers was kicked in the chest by the police officers and was sexually assaulted as well. One day after the video began circulating, Balveer Singh was transferred and placed on a compulsory waiting list.

On March 29, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced at the Assembly that the accused police officer Balveer Singh has been suspended. The Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) took suo-motu cognisance of the custodial violence complaints and ordered an investigation into the matter on March 28.