Port Louis — Old stories are coming out. The recent allegations of police brutality against SP Prem Raddhoa and the enquiry of the Central Criminal Investigation Team (CCID) to shed some light on Rajesh Ramlogun's death in police custody seem to have revived memories that were thought dead. Cehl Meeah has resumed his crusade against the policeman. He is asking for the re-opening of the investigation into the "torture, atrocity and kidnapping" he underwent while in police custody - under the responsibility of the Raddhoa team - in the Gorah-Issac Street case. He is also asking that Raddhoa be interdicted until the end of the enquiry.

This complaint arrives at a bad time for Raddhoa who is already having problems with the consequences of the Lallmatie murders. The main suspect in the murder of Indira and Geeta Jhurry in Lallmatie, Avinash Ramgotee, has also complained about police brutality when he was under arrest in hospital. He said the policemen pulled off the dressing and pressed on the stab wound in his stomach. Last week, he confirmed to the Human Rights Commission that he could recognise and identify his alleged torturers, if necessary.

For his part, the leader of Front Solidarité Mauricien says that his action comes in response to the recent death of a suspect in police custody. In his statement to the police, he gave details of the alleged behaviour of the CID members - of whom Prem Raddhoa was in charge at the time. Torture and threats are said to have been the main practice. "You have come into a slaughter-house, you won't get out from here alive," were some of the words used by the police officers, according to Cehl Meeah.

Meanwhile, the enquiry on Rajesh Ramlogun's death is going on. In fact, the judicial enquiry has been concluded with the hearing of some witnesses. One of them, policeman Koo Wan Cheung, said that he noticed wounds on the face of the suspect after his questioning by MCIT members and told him he could lodge a complaint if he was the victim of violence. But Ramlogun did not want to do so.

Raddhoa ordered custody

Magistrate Raj Seebaluck has been working on a report to state whether there has been foul play in the suspect's death. He is expected to submit his conclusions to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) so that he takes appropriate action.

The Human Rights Commission also concluded its enquiry at the end of the week. After the victim's widow lodged a complaint with the commission, they opened an enquiry to find the exact circumstances in which the suspect died. The commission will also submit its report to the DPP and to the attorney general, Rama Valayden.

During his questioning by the CCID - in the context of the police investigation that is still going on - SP Raddhoa admitted he was the one to order that Ramlogun be placed in police custody. He asserted to CCID members that there were reasonable grounds to justify his arrest as a suspect in the murder of the two women in Lallmatie. However, the head of the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT) firmly denied that he had any physical contact with the suspect between the 12th and 14th January - while he was in police custody.

The MCIT members arrested for the death of Ramlogun have been released on bail. They are no longer charged with murder but are now provisionally accused of manslaughter.