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“One of the earliest cases that pointed to this disturbing trend was in 2015, when a notorious robber, ‘Neeravi’ Murugan, ended up with a broken leg,” recalled a senior crime reporter who
has been tracking custodial abuse in the state. “Police at the time claimed he was injured while trying to escape custody.” Earlier, such incidents were rare and often seen in sensitive
cases, typically when public anger was directed at the police or the ruling government over their failure to prevent a crime. But over time, even individuals accused of offences like
chain-snatching were seen wearing casts when produced in court, with images of their injuries circulated in the media. According to advocate Pugalenthi, despite regular condemnation from
human rights defenders across Tamil Nadu, the practice has spread beyond major urban centres. “I’ve received information from lawyers in various lower courts about police producing the
accused in court wearing casts and bandages,” he said. “This is no longer limited to high-profile or exceptional cases. It's happening everywhere.” The RTI data reveals the nature and
extent of injuries; they range from right-hand forearm fractures and leg fractures to wrist fractures. Importantly, the data pertains only to police stations falling under the jurisdictions
of Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu districts, suggesting that the actual number of such cases across the state could be significantly higher. According to the Prisons
Department, the highest number of cases where the accused were admitted in prison with fractures were reported in March 2024, with 51 cases, and in August 2024, with 79 cases. In medical
terms, fracture in any part of the body is categorised as a grievous injury. Speaking to TNM, Dr Selvakumar, a former police surgeon and expert in forensic medicine, said that even the
smallest hairline fracture is considered as a grievous injury by doctors. “These kinds of injuries can have long term consequences.” EXAMINING CASES TNM verified a few cases based on First
Information Reports (FIR) and allegations levelled against those arrested and remanded to judicial custody with fractures. In January 2024, Khemaram was arrested by Flower Bazaar police for
allegedly cheating someone of Rs 8 lakhs. He was booked under Sections 420 (cheating), 294(b) (use of abusive language), 506(2) (criminal intimidation) and arrested by the Muthialpet
police. When he was remanded in judicial custody, he had a fracture in his left hand. Similarly, Roshan Kumar was arrested by the Kodungaiyur police in connection with the theft of two
motorbikes worth Rs 10,000 each. He was remanded to judicial custody with a fracture on his right forearm on March 12, 2024. Another FIR was registered by the Tenyampet police in Chennai in
July 2024 under Sections 331(4) (house break-in), 305 (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) after a complaint that unknown persons had entered a shop and stolen Rs 4,000. The police
arrested Arun Kumar in connection with this case. He was remanded to judicial custody in October with a fracture in his left leg. The list also has details of 37 accused who have multiple
cases against them, including theft, criminal intimidation, causing hurt, robbery, murder charges detained under the Goondas Act. In almost all cases, a hand or leg was fractured when they
were lodged in the prison. In some cases, the accused had fractures in both an arm and a leg at the same time. Another journalist covering the crime beat told TNM the explanation that the
accused "slipped in the bathroom" has become the standard operating procedure (SOP) in police stations. “Breaking limbs has become a mandatory exercise like registering an FIR,
recording the statement of the accused, and taking the accused for a medical check-up before sending them to jail. In sensitive cases, it gets reported, while in others, there are no records
of it,” he said.