Inspector Premraj Summoned by CB-CID Team

By Express News Service

Published: 06th July 2015VELLORE: The CB-CID team probing the case of Shameel Ahmed, who died at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital allegedly due to injuries sustained in illegal detention, summoned former inspector of Pallikonda C Martin Premraj for interrogation on Monday. The summons was pasted on the wall of his rented house and was not personally handed to him, since he has remained at large ever since the death of Ahmed. His suspension orders too were not received by him in-person and was also pasted on the wall of his residence.

A police official said that “the inspector went on medical leave from June 28, the day after Ahmed died. He moved to a rented house in Katpadi recently,” the police official said. Since he was not available at the house, which was found locked, the police officials stuck a copy of the summons on the house door.

Cops Trace Pavithra to Ambattur

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 06th July 2015VELLORE:A special police team late on Saturday nabbed 24-year-old Pavithra — who went missing under mysterious circumstances — from a working women’s hostel in Chennai.

The district police have been on the lookout for the mother of a four year-old child, who went missing on May 24.

Tracing her call logs, a special police team under Inspector R S Parthasarthy, with technical assistance of Assistant Director of the Mobile Forensic Lab K Pari located Pavithra in Vaniveni Women’s  Hostel in Ambattur on Saturday around midnight. She had been working in a textile showroom.

After Pavithra had gone missing it was alleged that  she was in an extra-marital affair with Shameel Ahmed (26) — something which she denied when she was nabbed.  Former Inspector of Pallikonda, C Martin Premraj — who is now facing a CB-CID inquiry — took Ahmed in for questioning on June 15 and illegally detained him for four days. During this time, he reportedly thrashed Ahmed severely, suspecting that he was aware about Pavithra’s whereabouts.

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                                                                                                             Pavithra with a police escort in Vellore on Sunday | Express

Ahmed was admitted in the government hospital in Ambur on June 19 and referred to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital on June 23. From there, he was referred to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, where he died on June 27. Following Ahmed’s death, Muslim outfits called for a protest and demanded action against Premraj and six other police personnel.

The large gathering of protestors turned hostile and pelted stones at police and also unleashed an attack on the 350 -odd police personnel. “The extra-marital relationship between Ahmed and Pavithra, who married her maternal uncle Palani seven years ago, is the reason behind the June 28 incident,” DSP of Ambur P Ganeshan said.

“After she left her house on May 24, she went to Chennai. From there, she took a train to Erode. There, Ahmed arranged for Pavithra’s stay. However, after repeated phone calls from her family members, Ahmed decided to send her back home. He sent her back on a train on May 27 and also informed her family members,” said Inspector Parthasarathy.

However, she did not get down in Ambur and went to Chennai. During her journey, she befriended Surendran of Chennai. With his help, she got a job in a textile showroom in Ambattur OT. He also helped Pavithra get a room in the working women’s hostel, where she was staying from May 30.

The police monitored the call logs of Pavithra’s contacts and picked up Suresh of Vettuvanam, who was working in Chennai. With his help, the police traced Pavithra’s new mobile number a couple of days ago. “We collected the call logs. We saw Pavithra and Surendran were frequently in touch, speaking over phone. The call logs helped us locate Pavithra,” said the Inspector.The police team picked her up from the hostel and brought her to Vellore on Sunday. Though the police heaved a sigh of relief after tracing Pavithra, the incidents in the aftermath of Ahmed’s death are still haunting them. Indeed, the district police was demoralised after the Ambur clash that targeted the men in khaki.

In the meantime, the Arakkonam Town Police picked Surendran (24), who is studying CA in Chennai and is a native of Dindugal, and his friend Saravanan (23) of Arakkonam for inquiry regarding the case.

Also Read: Pavithra Denies Having Affair with Shameel

Special teams camping in Erode to Trace Pavithra

Special Teams Formed to Trace Pavithra

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 04th July 2015

VELLORE: The district police have dispatched two special teams to Erode district to track  the 24-year-old Dalit girl, Pavithra of Kutchipalayam in Pallikonda, who has now been missing for more than a month.

 The death of Shameel Ahmed (26) of Ambur Town derailed the investigation to locate the girl.

The mother of a three year-old girl went missing on May 24.

The woman’s husband Palani  filed a missing case with the Pallikonda Station the following day.

Inquiry into the missing case revealed that Pavithra had an affair with Shameel Ahmed.

The inquiry further divulged that they developed an illicit affair when they were working in a private firm in Pallikonda. After learning about their relationship, the management of the firm sacked them both.

Ahmed moved to Erode after he got a job in a jewellery showroom.

After leaving the house, Pavithra reportedly contacted Ahmed, who asked her to come to Erode.

“Ahmed hired a house and asked Pavithra to stay there for a few days. He also contacted Pavithra’s family members on June 13 and told them that he was sending Pavithra to Pallikonda and that she would get there in three hours,” Ahmed’s friend M Firdosi told Express.

However, she did not reach Pallikonda.

Meanwhile, Palani approached the High Court and filed a habeas corpus writ. Following this, the police intensified their investigation.

However, the case got derailed following the death of Ahmed on June 28 at the Rajiv Gandhi GovernmentGeneral Hospital in Chennai.It resulted in a major law and order situation as protestors attackedseve-ral police personnel including women cops claiming that Ahmed died due to injuries sustained inillegal custody between June 15 and 19.

The focus now is to nab the attackers and restore normalcy in the disturbed area. In the process, the police lost track of Pavithra’s case.

Police officials now say that they have launched a search for the woman and have sent special teams to Erode.

“We are looking for her. We are yet to get information about her whereabouts,” said a police officer.

Saturday’s clash remains nightmare for several policemen

Saturday’s clash remains nightmare for several policemen

J Shanmugha Sundaram

Vellore: Two police men attached to the Vellore unit of the Armed Reserve (AR) Police put their lives in grave danger to save a woman cop from an unruly group of protestors that assaulted her and dragged her away during Saturday’s clash in Ambur Town.

Though the two brave policemen – M Vijayakumar and P Kumar – managed to save the woman cop, they came under deadly attack. The mob wielding deadly weapons attacked them with sharp weapons, including that used to skin goats. The duo sustained multiple deep cut injuries and managed to escape from the attackers and ran for nearly a kilo metre.

While Kumar of them sought the help of a motorist to go to the Primary Health Centre at Madhanur, Vijayakumar requested a car driver to drop him at the medical facility. A head constable attached to Ambur Station had also sustained serious head injuries along with the two policemen.

M Vijayakumar

They are now undergoing treatment in the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital.

Close to 350-odd police men were deployed on security after over 2,000 Muslim youth gathered near OAR Theatre on the National Highway at Ambur to protest the death of 26-year old Shameel Ahmed, who died on Friday in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai allegedly due to injuries sustained in illegal detention. The protestors turned hostile and launched a scathing attack on the policemen that lasted for four hours from 9 pm.

Little did the men in khaki expect that the crowd would turn so violent leaving 38 of them, including 10 women, injured. What started with pelting of stones, ended up as a deadly attack on the cops and arson.

Thirty-four-year old Vijayakumar, a native of Kalavai, was stabbed in various places. He is now undergoing treatment for a deep cut that stretches from his buttock to a little below the calf, cuts on his back, left abdomen and his head.

“He has received 98 stitches for the cut on his leg. We have not informed our parents as they cannot bear the sight of him suffering in pain. He cannot sit on the bed and is in a lot of pain,” Velmurugan, brother of Vijayakumar.

Kumar sustained injuries caused by blades on his abdomen. One of the protestors went on to stab him in the abdomen. Many of the police personnel have sustained injuries that required stitches. One woman cop sustained severe injury on the forehead and underwent surgery at Christian Medical College Hospital.

Some of them recounted how the protestors were as young as 15 years. “We were wearing protective gear but many of the protestors were armed with knives. We were shaken when they launched the attack. They were huge in number,” said a policeman.

Some of the police personnel consider it fortunate to have survived the attack. The situation came under control after Inspector General of Police (north zone) M N Manjunatha arrived at the spot close to midnight with a strong contingent of policemen and reinforced the security.

The incident that had shaken up the district has found its way to messaging app - Whatsapp. Photos of the injured policemen with messages asking “Where is the human rights commission?” “Are we not human?” is doing the rounds on Whatsapp./eom/shan/

'Cops Kept Youth in illegal Custody for 4 Days'

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 28th June 2015 

VELLORE/CHENNAI:Chief Judicial Magistrate of Vellore, S Sivakadatcham has ordered a judicial inquest into the death of Shameel Ahmed, who was reportedly illegally detained by the Pallikonda police and beaten up. He died in the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai on Friday.
Basha was allegedly involved in an illicit relationship with Pavithra, a married woman, who reportedly went ‘missing’ on June 13. Following this,ahmed was picked up for inquiry by the police.
Talking to Express, N K Mohammed Ghouse, Basha’s father-in-law, said, “We handed over Basha to the Pallikonda police at 11 am on June 15 after the family of the woman (Pavithra) created a ruckus in our area. But the police tied him and beat him up badly.” Basha’s father, K Shah Jahan, said, “The Pallikonda police station inspector took my son to a guesthouse in Ambur on June 15.”
Sources in the police department confirmed that inspector Martin Premraj kept Basha in illegal custody for four days near Pallikonda police station. However, no report was filed stating that he was in police custody.
Ghouse claimed he visited the police station several times between June 15 and 18, but Basha was not to be seen there. The policemen in the station apparently told him that Premraj had taken Basha for inquiry in connection with Pavithra’s case. On June 18, Ghouse called sub-inspector of police Ravi from his mobile phone. “The SI told me that they were taking Basha to Salem for inquiry and disconnected the call,” he claimed. Ghouse also alleged that Premraj finally handed over Basha to him at 12.40 pm on June 19 after obtaining a written assurance from him that they would produce Basha for inquiry, if necessary.
Ghouse added, “(Inspector) Premraj asked me to give hot compression treatment to Basha as he had injuries, but claimed there was nothing to worry about. He said they are not registering a case either. But Basha was in a bad shape and could not move his right hand.”
Basha was taken to the Ambur GH and admitted for treatment at 3 pm on June 19. He was shifted to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital, Adukkamparai on June 23. He was moved to the RGGGH on June 26 and around 5.40 pm the same day, he passed away, Shah Jahan claimed.
Doctors at the RGGGH said, “Though there were no visible injuries, he suffered polytrauma (multiple traumatic injuries).” The brachial plexus, a nerve which is under the shoulder joint and carries signals from the brain to the muscles that move the arms, was injured. He suffered ‘cardiac arrest’ and died, the doctors said.
A case has been registered under Section 176 of the CrPC against Premraj and six other policemen — special inspector of police Sabarathinam and constables Nagaraj, Ayyappan, Murali, Suresh and Muniyan — following a complaint lodged by Basha’s family members.
P K Senthilkumari, SP, Vellore, denied that Basha was in police custody. “The family handed him to the police on June 15 and took him home on the same day. Again, they brought him in on June 19 and took him away,” she claimed.

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Shameel Ahmed's Lover Untraceable

By Express News Service

Published: 29th June 2015VELLORE: The woman, with whom the late Shameel Ahmed (not Sameel Basha as identified earlier) was having an illicit relationship with, has yet to be traced with her mobile phone remaining switched off.

Twenty-three year old Pavithra, wife of Palani and mother of a four-and-a-half-year old daughter, went missing on June 13. Pavithra and Ahmed were working in the same leather factory in Pallikonda till six months ago and were allegedly carying on an extramarital relationship. They were sacked from work after the management learned about their affair.
Ahmed took up a job in a jewellery showroom in Erode and continued his relationship with Pavithra.                
On June 13, Pavithra left her home and apparently called Ahmed over the phone to meet him. Ahmed told her that he was at work in Erode and asked her to come to Erode where they met in a house for a day after which Ahmed called and told her family members that he had sent Pavithra back home. However, Pavithra did not return home, police said.Following this, Palani and his family members picked up a quarrel with Ahmed’s family residing in Ambur. Ahmed’s uncle Khaleel handed Ahmed over to the Pallikonda police on June 15 to look into the issue.
Detained by the Inspector of Pallikonda, Martin Premraj, at his police quarters for four days, Ahmed was allegedly beaten up and handed back to his family on June 19. Ahmed later died on June 26 at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai.
Meanwhile, Pavithra remains untraceable, with Pallikonda police registering a  missing woman case, which will be investigated after normalcy is restored in Ambur, according to a senior police officer.
Erode police have been told to keep a look out for Pavithra.

TMMK Gives Biriyani to 95 Arrested Youth

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 30th June 2015

VELLORE: A mutton biriyani feast was organised by the Vellore Unit of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) between 2 am and 3 am in the premises of the Vellore Central Prison for Men on Monday for the 95 youth arrested in connection with Saturday’s clash in Ambur Town, which left 38 police personnel injured.
The detained were given the biriyani before they were lodged in the central prisons in Vellore, Cuddalore and Salem, and Borstal School in Vellore.

Youth arrested for involvement in Saturday’s Ambur clash served mutton biryani before being lodged in prison; members of the Indian National League Party protesting in front of the Collectorate on Monday 

The youth were served briyani inside the prison campus in batches. First, 37 youth, including seven juveniles detained in Vellore were served food. The youth were arrested for allegedly indulging in violent acts including setting fire to police vehicles, a TASMAC outlet and ransacking private hospitals in Ambur protesting the alleged custodial torture of Shameel Ahmed (26) of Ambur on Saturday night.
Police picked up 200 youth from Nellikollai,          

 Youth arrested for involvement in Saturday’s Ambur clash served mutton biryani before being lodged in prison; members of the Indian National League Party protesting in front of the Collectorate on Monday | S DINESh 

Pudumannai and Housing Board area during on Sunday morning. Police identified 95 of them to be involved in Saturday’s clash and booked them.
“We served them food at 5 pm after registering the case. But they refused to take it,” said superintendent of police, P K Senthil Kumari. But she denied that the department had given permission to any outfit to serve food. “The arrested persons told our functionaries they were starving and the police did not serve them food. So we got permission from senior police officers and served them 30 kg of mutton biriyani,” said J Eajaz Ahmed, north-west election officer of TMMK.

VMK appeals to cm for action
Vijayabharata Makkal Katchi (VMK) appealed to CM Jayalalithaa to take action against those who damaged public property following the death of Shameel Ahmed. Party president G Jaishankar alleged that the attack must have been pre-meditated.
‘Book ambur MLA under NSA’
Hindu organisations Hindu Makkal Katchi-Tamilazhagam and All India Hindu Assembly  demanded that Ambur MLA Alam Basha be placed under the National Security Act for instigating youth to unleash violence against police.
‘Deranged people behind attack’
Ramnad MLA and senior leader of TMMK M H Jawahirullah said Saturday’s clash was instigated by mentally deranged persons and anti-social elements. Visiting Ahmed’s family, he said that no organisation was behind it.