Police officers in Prasad bashing suspended

Three police officers based at Nausori Police Station, including a senior officer, who colluded with seven assailants involved in the brutal beating of special constable, Raj Shavendra Prasad, have been suspended from the Fiji Police Force.

The trio were suspended without pay more than a week ago after Coupfourpointfive exclusively reported Prasad’s beating and ill-treatment at the hands of the three officers.

The Fiji Police Force’s Police Complaints Department has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances leading to Prasad’s bashing by seven assailants, his forced detention in a cell at Nausori Police Station, and the wrongful charge of theft of a mobile phone.

Prasad was presented at Nausori Magistrates Court, bailed, and terminated from the Force on orders from Police Commissioner Esala Teleni. He was also hospitalised for 6 days at CWM Hospital in Suva where he was treated for internal injuries, and a hairline fracture to his skull.

His termination has been rescinded.

The three officers who've been suspended are Inspector Timoci Sesewai, and Police Constables Sanjay Chand and Sanjeet Kumar.

We reported on the 28th of May that after seven assailants beat Prasad and forced liquor down his throat while he was handcuffed on the 16th of May, they telephoned Timoci who, accompanied by a police driver, went to pick up Prasad from Baulevu where he was being kept by his captors.

Timoci returned to Nausori Police Station and while dragging Prasad out of the vehicle, also beat him. Prasad was handed to Police Constables Sanjay and Sanjeet, who locked him up in a cell.

Inside the cell, Prasad was also bashed by one of the two police constables. The beating resulted in him losing a tooth, which was later found on the cell floor.

A book for recording details of suspects put in police custody, was also tampered with, according to our sources. Initially, one of the two constables wrote down “no injuries” when recording Prasad’s detention. After realising that Prasad could not stand up or sit properly, and had to laid down on the cell floor in a sleeping position, the entry was changed to “some injuries” after white ink was used to erase the previous entry.

According to our sources, the cell book was confiscated by an officer from the Police Complaints Department.

All three officers face charges of misconduct and neglecting duties.