Did the Kerala police beat up a teenager so badly that he had to be admitted in a hospital? A 19-year-old engineering student, Habeeb Muhammed, has been admitted to a private hospital in Kollam after he was allegedly beaten up by the police. His father claims that the student was beaten up by several police officials after he was arrested for allegedly threatening a girl.
Habeeb was taken into custody on May 1 after a girl complained that he threatened her to be in a relationship with him. His father Shamsudheen, however, said that the case was fake.
“This girl and my son were in a relationship ever since they were in school,” Shamsudheen claimed, adding that the girl was Habeeb's classmate in school. Habeeb used to visit her while he come home for vacations from Thuckalay, where he is studying engineering, his father said.
“On May 1, she messaged him to visit her at a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where her mother was admitted. When he met her there, he realised she was in another relationship, and he questioned her. There was a fight between Habeeb and another boy who was in a relationship with her, after which she filed a fake complaint against my son,” he claimed.
Following the complaint, Habeeb was arrested by the Mangalapuram police, and assaulted in custody, Shamsudeen said. Habeeb, he said, was assaulted both on the way to the police station as well as at the sub jail where he was on remand.
“Habeeb was denied bail and was remanded in the beginning. While he was in police station, they hit him oh his chest, elbows and back side. Since he fell sick, he was taken to a hospital while on remand. After seven days in a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, he was taken back to jail, but as the sickness prevailed, he was shifted to again to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical college hospital,” Shamsudeen said.
“Meanwhile, Habeeb got bail,” the father added. “Later, we shifted him to this private hospital in Kollam two days ago,” Shamsudheen said. He said that Habeeb is now facing severe breathing trouble, has severe damages to his lungs, spine and neck.
Speaking to TNM over phone, Habeeb said, “They hit me badly, and when I got tired they asked me to jump by raising my hands. Also, they made me drink sugar mixed water when I ask for drinking water. Two of the officers continuously assaulted me.”
Habeeb’s father has claimed that a Sub Inspector of the Mangalapuram police station, Yahiya, who allegedly assaulted Habeeb, was close to the complainant’s family.
However, Mangalapuram Sub Inspector Yahiya denied all allegations. Claiming that the police had not assaulted Habeeb, Yahiya said that the teenager was unwell at the time of arrest. He also said that Habeeb was arrested based on the girl’s complaint, but refused to give any further details.