This Article is From Dec 15, 2010

DU student allegedly beaten mercilessly by cops

DU student allegedly beaten mercilessly by cops
Delhi: A Delhi University student is recovering from partial paralysis after allegedly being beaten by local cops. He was wrongly accused of mobile theft.

All 18-year-old Mohammad Saleem did was buy a used cellphone. Now he is learning to walk again. While Saleem had trouble conveying his side of the story to MiD DAY, since he has developed speech impediment as well, his family talked about the excesses this DU student suffered allegedly at the hands of Delhi police.  

Saleem, a resident of Sunlight Colony area of southeast Delhi, bought a second hand cell phone from a dealer. Turns out, it was stolen. Saleem's relatives say the handset belonged to a person whose father shares a good rapport with the local Station House Officer (SHO) VKPS Yadav.

"On the 10th of November, the SHO sent two constables to our house in Sunlight Colony and they took Saleem with them. My daughter and wife were at home. They tried to reason with the cops but to no avail. The cops thrashed my son through the night.  They called me in the afternoon the next day and told me to take my son home. On the way I realised that my son was unable to speak and he could not move his right hand or leg. I took him to the hospital, where we were told that he had suffered severe head injuries," said Mohammad Hanif, father of the victim.

Hanif has given a written complaint to the DCP of the area. MiD DAY has a copy of it.

"I was scared of the cops and my priority was my son's treatment. So it took some time before I could lodge a complaint. Finally, after more than a month, my son can now stand on his own two feet. I then approached senior police officers to pursue the matter," Hanif added.

The victim is still unable to articulate himself coherently and has trouble using his right hand and leg. He is receiving medical treatment at VIMHANS hospital in Nehru Nagar.

"The cops hung me upside down from the ceiling and started beating me. I fell unconscious inside the police station but they apparently continued beating me. The limbs on the right side of my body weren't working for a while and I wasn't even able to speak. First I was admitted to Holy Family Hospital. But doctors there suggested that I be moved to VIMHANS. I am a student of PGDAV college but I can't go there as long as my treatment is on," said Saleem.

Sources in Delhi police said that senior cops are looking into the matter and they are not sure about the authenticity of the victim's version. Hanif is now planning to approach the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

A medical expert says that the victim is recovering from injuries but the kind of injuries he suffered may take a long time to heal.

"The medical report clearly indicates that victim has suffered serious head injuries. He has suffered Parenchymal haemorrhage, and these injuries take a long time to heal and no one can guarantee that the victim will recover completely. Thousands of brain cells are likely to have been affected by the trauma. In worst cases, the victim could suffer permanent paralysis," said Jitender Paratap Singh, a senior neurologist.
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