Bengaluru man assaulted by cops contracts pneumonia, battles for life

Mohammed Tanveer’s kidneys were damaged due to the assault by police officers at Deverajeevana Halli Police Station in the early hours of April 10.

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After being cruelly assaulted for hours by the police, 23-year-old Mohammed Tanveer is battling for his life in Bengaluru.

According to officials at Bengaluru’s Shifaa Hospital, Tanveer developed pneumonia on Tuesday and is still lodged in the Intensive Care Unit. Doctors, however, did not divulge what could have caused the pneumonia. Tanveer’s kidneys were damaged due to the assault by police officers at Deverajeevana Halli Police Station in the early hours of April 10.

Given that Tanveer has been suffering from pneumonia, his immunity is compromised and this may aggravate his overall condition and even recovery from the assault injuries, doctors say.

“He is unable to wake up and keep his eyes open for too long. He says he is in a lot of pain,” Tanveer’s brother Mohammed Musaveer told TNM.

According to the renal function test performed at the hospital, Tanveer’s serum creatinine level has shot up to 8.68. “The creatinine level must be between 0.4 and 1.4. If this does not come down in the next few days, it will become difficult for him to recuperate,” doctors said.

When creatinine levels are high in the body, it means that the kidneys are significantly impacted, which results in them being unable to function properly.

Tanveer was put on dialysis since April 18 in order to reduce the creatinine levels. However, the doctors have been forced to stop dialysis after he was diagnosed with pneumonia. “Once the pneumonia is treated, then we can put him back on dialysis. He is young and has a chance of recuperating. But his situation is currently critical. We will have to keep him in the ICU for the next few days,” the doctor added.

On April 10, Tanveer and his friend Danish were on their way to buy medicines at around 12.40am. Tanveer was talking to his mother on the phone when he was stopped by constable Ayyappa attached with the DJ Halli Police Station. Ayyappa allegedly beat Tanveer with his lathi so hard that it broke in half, as the latter took a few seconds longer to hang up the phone.

Tanveer was dragged to the DJ Halli Police Station along with Danish and brutally beaten up by nine police officers from 1am to 8am on April 10. Tanveer’s brother Musaveer alleges that their father was made to watch while the police made Danish slap Tanveer multiple times until he became unconscious.

Constable Ayyappa allegedly made the other police officers spit on Tanveer’s face. Musaveer alleges that the police broke four lathis and damaged one iron road as they assaulted Tanveer.

Police have booked Ayyappa and Sub Inspector Santhosh under sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC.

SI Santosh and Ayyappa have been suspended pending inquiry. The probe is being conducted by DCP East Rahul Kumar. “So far, the probe has not gone any further. Tanveer had mentioned in the complaint that nine officers assaulted him but he does not know their names. We can take further action after he identifies them. We will take him to the police station to identify the officers from a line-up after he is discharged,” a senior police officer said.