A 43-year-old man from Sathankulam in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi was allegedly brutally attacked by police at the front door of his house, following which he had to be hospitalised.

The victim, Martin, a driver, had gone out to buy groceries when his wife called him and told him that the police were at their door and wanted to see him, Scroll.in reported.

‘As soon as I got back, the policemen began to hit me, pushed me into a waiting vehicle and sped off,’ Martin said. ‘We drove past the Sathankulam station and they took me to the old police quarters behind the local government hospital. Four policemen then assaulted me through the night, kicking and hitting me till I nearly collapsed.’

The police personnel have been identified as Inspector Xavier, Sub Inspector Raja, Constable Sabapathy and the inspector’s driver Chinnadurai. The reason behind the attack is not yet clear.

‘On the morning of August 24, I couldn’t walk and was breathless, so they took me to the Thoothukudi government hospital,’ Martin said. ‘They told the magistrate I was injured after falling down and was undergoing treatment.’

According to Martin, the police picked him up because he borrowed money from a neighbour and had a fight with him as he did not return it. He admitted to have threatened and abused his neighbour. However, he said that the police simply assaulted him instead of carrying out an investigation.

Martin claimed that he was given only water and no food for two days in the hospital, as per the police’s instruction.

‘Before I was taken to court, Sub Inspector Raja said he will shoot me if I tell the magistrate what happened,’ Martin said. ‘But I think the magistrate himself immediately understood. I was produced at 7 pm [he did not specify a date] and the magistrate began a complete inquiry. He took me and first gave me some food because I was so weak. I told him everything that happened and he questioned my wife and brothers too before letting me out on bail.’

Martin has suffered multiple internal injuries and is admitted to the Sathankulam Government Hospital.

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