A 45 year old taxi driver of Labasa who sued police for brutality against him was yesterday awarded $129,520 in compensation by the High Court.

High Court Judge Justice John Byrne while awarding the compensation to Subhash Mani, ruled that the police officers involved should be disciplined as medical reports show that he was brutally assaulted while being questioned in relation to a Robbery with Violence case in November 2004.

The court was told that Mani was arrested near the Labasa Sugar Mill and was taken to the Labasa Police Station where he was told to take off all his clothes and was questioned by the then Divisional Crime Officer Northern ASP Waisea Kadawa.

Mani's lawyer Amrit Sen told Justice Byrne that another CID officer Ramendra Kumar who has migrated to New Zealand rubbed chilies on his private parts, his eyes and ears.

It was also revealed in court that Mani suffered broken ribs, his left hand was fractured and he had severe injuries to his chest and other body parts. Despite all this, Mani was not taken to the hospital for three days. Upon his request to be taken to the hospital, police officers told him that there was no vehicle and the second time they told him that doctors at the Labasa hospital were on strike.

The Police Spokesperson ASP Ulayasi Ravula is expected to comment on the brutality later today.