All eight cops acquitted in custodial death case

, Feb 27: A Madras High Court bench today acquitted all eight policemen in the case of the custodial death of a 48-year-old Dalit woman in 2002.

Justice Aruna Jagadeesan set aside the judgement by a lower court given in February of last year and acquitted all the policemen after observing that the charge against them had not been proved. The lower court had sentenced the policemen to up to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment.

Karuppi, a domestic help, was accused by her employer of stealing a gold chain from his house. She was questioned at Parmakdui police station where she was allegedly tortured for six days. Her body was found hanging from a transmission tower behind the police station in the early hours of December 1, 2002.

Police registered a case of suicide in the matter and denied that she had died at the police station. But various organisations took up the case and the policemen were convicted by the lower court in February, 2013.

PTI