Police are investigating reports of a person being beaten in police custody, after a 17 year-old boy told Minivan News he was arbitrarily arrested on Boduthakurufaanu Magu on Saturday night before being driven in a police vehicle to a dark spot near Male’s artificial beach where he was violently beaten by officers with batons.
The 17 year-old told Minivan News that he had been on the phone in front of a police officer’s house earlier that day, before the officer came out of the building and confronted him.
“I did not answer him and asked him to wait, as I was on the phone,” he said. “Later that night, while I was on Boduthakurufaanu Magu near the ‘Ekuveni Stadium’ in Galolhu, I saw police officers searching for me with a picture of me in their hands.”
As soon as he neared the stadium, all the police officers jumped on him and locked him inside police vehicle, he claimed.
”They said I had tried to attack a police officer by waiting near his house, and said I was not to threaten the police. They took me near artificial beach,” he said.
”It was around midnight when we reached the beach. All of the officers got out of the police bus and took me to a dark area near ”Andhiri Stage” [literally ‘Dark Stage’- a stage formally used to perform music shows but now unused].
The 17 year-old said the squad, consisting of “around 22″ police officers then started beating him simultaneously with their batons.
”They kept saying that it was what someone would get for trying to attack police,” he explained. ”They kept beating me until they received an urgent call to attend a fight that was occurring near Bandeyrikoshi, so they took me with them to the crime scene in the police bus.”
He said that one of the groups involved in the fighting had fled before the police arrived, but that the other group attacked police while he was kept inside the vehicle.
”They arrested some of the boys and drove to drop them off to police custodial,” he said. ”They were planning to drop them off and take me back to the artificial beach to beat me again.”
However, when the bus reached police custodial, the 17 year-old said he jumped out of the bus and ran inside the building, where he begged for help from a Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) officer who was on duty at the time.
”He told me to stay inside the interview room, then went outside and shouted at the police officers who had attacked me and told them that they couldn’t touch me again,” he said.
The boy said he went to meet President Mohamed Nasheed last night during the launch of a campaign office for an MDP candidate ahead of the local council elections, and told him what had happened to him.
”He was shocked to hear what the police officers told me inside the vehicle – they said they would make the people turn against ‘Anni’ (the President’s nickname) and would make citizens run after him with swords,” the boy alleged.
The boy said he had attended hospital for treatment and an X-ray of his injuries, where doctors discovered his spine had suffered internal injuries.
Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that police had received reports of a person who was tortured while in police custody, and were now investigating the incident.
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Who is the head of police? He should take the responsibility for this.
Look left and there are the gangs with their drugs and knives. Look right and there is the police with their batons.
Where do the people go?
The rise of Mafia in Italy did not have to do with drugs initially. In Sicily it started because the authorities could not enforce law.
The Police are very arrogant and constantly violating human rights. Police do not give people the assurance they are there to protect them. In fact they put fear. Question is about the maturity of the police. Before someone is sent out to the public, they must acquire the necessary performance standards, personal integrity and emotional stability. Do they have a sound knowledge of the laws? Can they reason and make decisions when faced with challenging situations and are they capable of resolving conflicts as versus to kindling the fire? Maldivian police definitely do not have the education nor the personality requirements. They pause an extra danger to the public with repeated stories of physical abuse of innocent people.
amayyaai, kaakutha head of police akee..
Dont worry bro.We are half way to Aneh dhivehiraajje.
Police is arresting the victims not the people involved in crimes. this is not how we wanted this government to be!!
Well well. More treachery from the 'boys in blue'?
sounds like the boy was spinning a bit of tale here.. i support strict police. better a feared police force than organized murdering gangs
So people.. Go out and Vote in the council elections to a bunch of clowns wearing blue and yellow.
Puppets they are who do not have even a bit of gray matter..
@ faxyl,
You are cent per cent correct!
Organized murder and crime is deteriorating this country day by day!
Alarmingly, politicians and dirty minded businesses are winning it all!
Unless strict policing is carried out and a balanced scale is meted out, living in this country is going to be dreadful and very unhealthy!
@mikalo,
Probably you'd change your mind when by chance you get beaten up by a cop keke.
they cannot beat him..hehe and he will have his day soon ...and his day would be better and rock ...