Arrested youth dies, family alleges torture

CHENNAI: A 22-year-old man arrested for snatching mobile phones from a couple by posing as a policeman died under mysterious circumstances at the government hospital in Royapettah on Monday. Though doctors claimed S Nithya alias Nithya Raj, a resident of Ayanavaram, died of cardiac arrest, his family alleged police torture.
On coming to know about his death, Nithya’s family members and relatives gathered near the hospital and staged a protest, blocking traffic on Royapettah High Road in front of the hospital.They said Nithya died due to police torture and demanded a judicial probe.
They dispersed after deputy commissioner of police (Mylapore) K Pugalenthi and other senior police officers promised to take action against those responsible for Nithya’s death. Some family members, including Nithya’s wife Sangeetha (20), met police commissioner J K Tripathy and submitted a complaint seeking a fresh inquiry. Tripathy ordered by a probe by an assistant commissioner of police.
The police said Nithya intercepted a couple, Dinesh and Kanchana, near ICF on January 12 and told them that he was a policeman. He threatened them and snatched their mobile phones. He told them to get their phones from the police station. The couple suspected something was amiss and followed him. They saw him having tea at a shop and when they enquired at the shop after he left, they found he was not a policeman. The next day, Dinesh saw Nithya on the road and with the help of his friends, he cornered him and informed the police. A team of personnel from the ICF police station picked up Nithya. He was remanded in judicial custody and sent to Puzhal prison on January 14, after being kept at the police station overnight.
On Sunday morning, he complained of chest pain. He was inspected by the prison doctors and later sent to the Royapettah government hospital for treatment. On Monday afternoon, Nithya developed complications and he was shifted to the intensive care unit, where he died later. A team of doctors, who inspected him, declared he died due to cardiac arrest.
Nithya was earlier associated with the friends of police, a neighbourhood group of youths which helps the police in patrolling and crime prevention, and was attached to the Ayanavaram police station. He was dismissed from the group after he was found to be involved in antisocial activities. His father Sam Raj owns a biriyani shop on Konnur High Road in Ayanavaram and Nithya helped his father in his business. He fell in love with Sangeetha and married her 18 months ago. The couple has a five-month-old girl.