The National Human Rights Commission on Friday issued a notice to the Telangana state government and director general of police over the alleged illegal detention and torture of eight villagers in Siricilla town of Rajanna district, ANI reported. An internal police inquiry, conducted by a deputy inspector general, had corroborated the claims made by eight men who said they were tortured in police custody between July 5 and July 8, The Indian Express reported.

The complainants said they had been tortured in illegal custody, before being presented before the court. On July 8, the superintendent of the Karimnagar District Jail also denied entry to eight men, three of whom belong to the Dalit community and five to backward classes, on account of their injuries, the English daily said.

“No one can deny that they were not beaten up badly,” Telangana Urban Development Minister and Siricilla MLA KT Rama Rao said, adding that the police had “overreacted”.

On Thursday, the high court instructed the Telangana government to depute doctors from the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Warangal to examine the injuries of the eight men. The court has asked for a report in a week. It also asked the Telangana Home Secretary to submit a report on the matter, the daily reported.