Family: It’s police brutality

Seemungal, a father of two, from. Ramlal Street, underwent surgery. on his left eye Thursday night at. San Fernando General Hospital,. where he remains warded.

The circumstances surrounding. the beating of 36-year-old Seemungal. remain unclear but police have. denied causing the injuries. Seemungal’s. sister Seeta said her brother. and another female relative had a. “misunderstanding” on Wednesday. at about 7.30 pm, at which time, the. police were called in.

Shortly after police arrived, Seemungal. was found bleeding after. suffering a savage beating. Saying. the misunderstanding.

Although Seeta said she did not. witness the incident, she claimed. hearing a policeman kicking her. handcuffed brother as she was. nearby in another area of the house.

“They handcuffed him and was. carrying him down, but apparently. he fell and police started to kick. him down the hill. A man in handcuffs. cannot fight back, so when. he reached the bottom neighbours. came out and asked police why they. were doing that,” Seeta said.

She said Seemungal has a cut on. his left eye and suffered internal. bleeding. “Naresh says he cannot. see anything in that eye. It was brutal.

He has not reached the police. station yet. The police were called. in, not to beat him, but to restrain. him. He was already in handcuffs.

This is not the way to restrain. somebody, by damaging them so.

We fear he may lose sight in his left. eye.”. Seeta added that when she spoke. to the police, they accused her. brother of using obscene language. and said as a result they deemed. him a prisoner. But police investigators. yesterday told Newsday that. on Wednesday night, a female relative. visited the station and made a. domestic violence report, claiming. Seemungal was intoxicated and. had beaten her with a pitchfork.

As a result, two male and one female. police officers accompanied. the woman to her home where they. met Seemungal. The house is in a. hilly area and the road is under. construction and contains loose. stones, police said. Police reported. that while officers were escorting. Seemungal to their vehicle, he. lurched forward and in doing so,. fell down the incline.

He rolled a short distance before. coming to a halt. Officers said this. is how Seemungal suffered his injuries.

They insisted at no time was he. beaten. Officers added that if anyone. feels they have a case against. the officers, they are free to make a. report to either a police station or. the Police Complaints Authority. (PCA).

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