'Cops beat us'
12 July 2008, 12:24
By Fiona Gounden
In the latest incident of police brutality in Durban, two brothers were
allegedly violently assaulted for an hour by Metro police officers while
they were handcuffed.
This is the fourth incident in two months to have been brought to the
attention of The Independent on Saturday.
This week a Chatsworth scrapyard manager, Daya Pillay, 50, claimed he
and his brother were assaulted by police officers. He said they "threw
them from one side of the room to the other" while other colleagues took
turns in throttling, punching and kicking them while they were handcuffed.
Shocking pictures taken on a cellphone by their niece show what appears
to be the officers' aggressive behaviour, with one threatening
bystanders. The Pillays' niece, Irene Pillay, who took the photos, says
one of the officers tried to pull the phone away and hurt her hand.
This latest alleged assault follows three other incidents, with two
involving SAPS and one Metro Police, which were reported in this
newspaper last week.
In another incident this week, a pregnant Congolese woman was allegedly
beaten by city officials at the city hall.
Daya Pillay, a father of two, who lives in Shallcross, said he and his
brother, Silverglen resident Ralph Pillay, 41, who is a buyer with him
at Sunset Scrap Metals in Woodhurst, Chatsworth, were visited by two
Chatsworth Metro Police officers last Wednesday at 12.30pm.
"These officers came with a summons for the owner, Aroo Pillay, who is
my other brother. He has been receiving fines quite often in the past
few months with no reasonable explanation. All the scrap was on our
leased premises and they claimed it was on the roadside.
"The officer demanded to know where the owner was. I told him I didn't
know and politely asked them for further information about these fines
as it just didn't make sense."
He said the police became aggressive and accused him of withholding
information.
"I said I can't help them any further and walked out. They became
violent and overpowered me. They threw me onto the ground and one
officer was throttling me and I could not breathe. My brother and some
other employees pleaded with them not to be so rough. They were joined
by another officer and they hit my brother and handcuffed both of us."
The brothers were arrested, put in a police van and taken to the Metro
Police Station at Chatsworth.
Pillay said when they arrived at the station, they were placed in "a big
room" and assaulted by a number of officers.
"These police were really disgusting and took joy in having turns
hitting us. They said we resisted arrest but all we did was ask for
further information."
He said the beating lasted for about an hour till 2.30pm and the
officers then took them to the nearby Chatsworth SAPS station where
charges were opened.
Shortly after the incident, the victims went to Dr James Govender in
Shallcross. Govender confirmed he treated Ralph Pillay for lacerations
and bruises on his body and told Daya Pillay to go to hospital where he
was admitted and treated for fractured ribs, tissue damage and cuts. He
was discharged from hospital two days days later.
Communications officer at the Chatsworth SAPS, Capt Edmund Singh,
confirmed that charges of assault were opened.
"The two victims have opened up charges of assault with intent to do
grievous bodily harm (GBH) against three Metro Police officers, which we
are investigating."
Snr Supt Thozamile Tyala said while the summons was executed correctly,
the charges of assault are very serious and are being investigated.
Two brothers have claimed they are victims of police brutality in
Durban. These are the latest alleged police assaults and harassment of
members of the public.
# Durban North resident Terene Powel, the owner of Oriental Road House
restaurant in Springfield Park, was searched by a male officer who
allegedly treated her roughly, causing multiple bruises, in full view of
her 7-year-old son on May 15. She and her manager, Shane Chinsamy, were
thrown into the back of a police van because her car was obstructing
another vehicle.
Durban Metro Police spokesperson, Thozamile Tyala, said senior police
officers were working on the case and assured Powel that they will be
brought to book and "will provide Powel with feedback by Monday".
# A pregnant Congolese woman, Salima Abbisi, was allegedly beaten by
city officials, when she and other foreigners demonstrated outside
Durban City Hall on Thursday. She is in a stable condition in hospital.
Tyala said the incident was handled correctly but if anyone feels their
rights were violated, they must report it.
# A Chatsworth community worker, Dennis Pillay, went to report a
hijacking at the Chatsworth Police Station but was turned away on April
27. Police asked why he was making such a big deal of the incident "as
hijackings take place often". They told him to come back another day.
Edmund Singh, communications officer for the Chatsworth SAPS, said the
allegations were extremely serious and have tried to contact Pillay.
"I have been calling Pillay three times a day for the past week in an
attempt to meet him. His phone is switched off and he has not called me
back. We understand that he may be scared, but victims must be prepared
to come forward."
# An Overport woman tried to open a case after her cellphone was stolen
on May 11. When she went to report the incident at the Sydenham Police
Station police officers accused her of fabricating the case.
They threatened to put her into a cell and one of the officers swore at her.
Station commissioner Snr Supt Glen Nayager said they were investigating,
but the victim needed to come forward.
"This woman had the time to go to the media but she can't make the time
to come see me. I want to catch these culprits.
"While the majority of our officers are good, there may be a few bad
apples and had this victim come straight to me they would have been
dealt with. Our investigation is under way and we need this victim's
help to get to the bottom of this." - Fiona Gounden
* This article was originally published on page 1 of The Independent
on Saturday on July 12, 2008
