Two Muslim men have accused police officers in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur city of torturing and sexually abusing them after they were called in for questioning last week, news portal TwoCircles.net reported on Tuesday.

The alleged incident occurred on August 26. The men said that at least seven police officers, including the officer in charge of Kadma police station, Manoj Kumar Thakur, were involved in the abuses.

The two men have submitted a letter with their complaint to Senior Superintendent of Police, East Singhbhum, M Tamil Vanan. The officer confirmed to TwoCircles.net that he had received their demand for action.

Thakur has refuted the allegations, but admitted that the two were summoned for questioning.

The men said that after they were beaten up in the police station, one was asked to lie down on the ground. The police officers allegedly asked the other man to pull off the pants of the one who was on the floor.

“I thought they were asking me to show me his injuries,” one of the men told TwoCircles.net. But the policemen allegedly asked him to have sex with the man who was asked to lie down on the floor.

“I started crying and told them to kill me but do not force me to do this....” the man who was standing up said. “I was told: ‘If you would not do this, he [the other man] would do that to you.’ When I totally refused, I was kicked with boots on my face.”

The policemen also used communal slurs when one of the men told them his full name, according to Maktoob Media. They also claimed that they had been beaten up in custody with sticks and wickets used to play cricket.

“You will make this [country] like Taliban [did in Afghanistan],” a police officer allegedly told the men. “Have you seen the plight of Afghanistan? You will be sent there.”

The two men were treated for their injuries after they were released by the police later in the day on August 26.

The deputy superintendent of police (headquarter) had been asked to investigate the case, Vanan said, adding that action would be taken once he receives an inquiry report.

The Kadma police station house officer told TwoCircles.net that the two men had been called for interrogation in a case involving elopement of a Muslim man and a Hindu girl.

The police claimed that one of the men called for questioning knows the person who eloped with the woman.

However, the man has refuted the claim. “Even if I were his friend, why should be I tortured for his elopement?” the man asked. “How can I know about the location when I have no idea about his elopement.”

One of the men said that the police allowed them to go only after getting their signature on a document saying that they had no complaints.

A medical report prepared by MGM Hospital in Jharkhand also mentioned that this was an “alleged case of assault”, reported The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, politicians have criticised the police as no action has been taken since the incident occurred five days ago.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Babar Khan said that the men were innocent, but had “suffered beyond description”. He added that the matter will be taken up with Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

“We are also contemplating a complaint case against the erring policemen in the civil court if no action is taken by the administration,” Khan told TwoCircles.net.

Civil society organisation Jharkhand Loktantarik Manch convener Ashok Varma said that a fact-finding team will leave for Kadma to investigate the incident.