A 41-year-old taxi driver who suffered a stroke was detained for more than six hours on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Around 10:15am on Saturday morning, Ali Shiman Naseer’s van crashed near a bridge connecting Hulhumalé phases one and two. Police officers responded to "a report of someone driving under the influence” and took him to the Hulhumalé police station, according to information shared by the police yesterday.

The stroke was officially confirmed when Shiman was taken to the hospital upon his release after 6pm. The family accused police of gross negligence in delaying medical attention, which they contend could significantly impact his chances of recovery.

“Shiman can't speak now. He can barely say some words with great difficulty. The possibility of him becoming permanently socially disabled is increasing, isn't it?” Shiman’s father Ahmed Nasir told Raajje TV. “It wasn't an accident he caused. He didn't hit anyone. People at the scene say they forcefully took away a sick person when they arrested him. He has never been someone who used drugs."

Despite being informed of his pre-existing diabetes and heart conditions with supporting medical documents, police ignored repeated requests for medical care, the family alleged.

According to the family, police made conflicting claims about urine testing. After saying a sample had been taken, they later claimed Shiman was refusing to provide one. When his drug test eventually came back negative around 3:00pm, police offered different explanations for the delay in his release, citing the absence of a senior officer to sign release papers before claiming they couldn't get Shiman's signature. A family visit was finally allowed close to sunset. 

"I called his name and he smiled. He didn't say anything. He was paralyzed on the right side of his face. Signs of a stroke were clearly visible. He had no strength in his hands. He couldn't hold anything. He was moving his fingers like he had a disability,” his brother told Adhadhu.

Shiman, a father of three, was undergoing treatment at the IGMH emergency ward. According to his father, he has a blood clot in his brain and cannot speak.

The police watchdog, the National Integrity Commission, has contacted the family, his father said. An internal review is also underway, police assured on Sunday, as the Drivers’ Association condemned the alleged mishandling of Shiman’s case as “unfair treatment and a severe violation of human rights.”