Mangalore : Uday Kumar and Vinay Kumar, two brothers of Aniyooru in Neriya GP in Belthangady, who were detained by a National Investigation Agency (NIA) team and interrogated in connection with the 2009 bomb blast in Goa, have accused the NIA of violating human rights under the guise of interrogation.

The brothers belong to Sanathan Sanstha, a Hindu organization, which is allegedly involved in terrorist activities in India, including the Margao blast. At a press meet in Mangalore, held on Wednesday, the brothers accused Sethuram and Manu N. K. of the NIA team of continuously harassing them for the past four days.

The NIA team had arrived in Belthangady to investigate the 2009 Goa blast. It may be recalled that a bomb blast had killed two people and caused heavy loss of property on Oct 16, 2009. The CBI, which investigated the case, stated that it had found clues that pointed to the Sanathan Sanstha’s alleged involvement in the blast.

Jayaprakash, the senior member of the Sanathan Sanstha, who is a resident of Kadaba, Puttur was named as one of the main accused in the blast. NIA sources have confimed that the brothers are not only Sanathan Sanstha activists, but also close relatives of Jayaprakash who is currently absconding. Reportedly, the two brothers used to live with Jayaprakash in Goa.

The brothers told reporters that the NIA team is misusing its powers. He said that the officers summoned them for interrogation on Feb 20 and made them remove all their clothes. They then sent police to their house and confiscated their driving license, election card, adhar card, their sister’s album of marriage photographs, ration card, and school certificates without giving them any receipt. The brothers also alleged that the officers had threatened their father, demanding information and documents and that their father handed over all the documents demanded by them out of fear. They also accused the NIA officers of accusing them of having a role to play in the Margao blasts.

Alleging that the officers had physically tortured them by pulling their hair, kicking them, and beating them with fists, he said that they were not permitted to use the toilet for nearly two and a half hours.

They have also accused the officers of threatening to harass their sister and expressed their concern that the officers will go to any extent.

Although the brothers failed to show signs of torture on their bodies, they said that they were threatened not to leave their houses and that no private dispensary or government hospital was willing to treat them and give them a medical certificate as proof of physical torture.

They also expressed their intention to file a complaint against NIA officers Manu and Sethuram with the Central and State Human Rights Commission for physically torturing them and mentally harassing their parents. The brothers also said that a complaint will also be lodged with the senior NIA officers.

Members of the Sanathan Sanstha said that the BJP-led state government was duty bound to protect them from anti-terror investigations. Stating that they are now constantly in fear of their lives, they said that the state government ought to protect them as they are citizens of Karnataka.

Ramesh Nayak and Anil Kamath, the activists of Hindu Janajagruthi Samithi, were also present.