Blow-by-blow account of 'police brutality'

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.u00a0u00a0


Recovering: The youth from Sunlight Colony in Nehru Nagar.
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Saleem is a resident of Sunlight Colony area of southeast Delhi. He bought a second hand cell phone from a dealer. Turns out, it was stolen. A mobile theft is usually a non-issue for Delhi police. Unless of course the victim happens to be a 'connected' guy. Saleem's relatives say this particular handset belonged to a person, whose father shares a good rapport with the local Station House Officer (SHO) VKPS Yadav.

Unexpected visit
"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 severeu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 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.

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

u00a0"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.

Doctors have advised Saleem regular Neuro-rehabilitation. Senior police officials refused to comment on the issue. 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).

Living in hope
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.