SHRC orders probe into encounter killings by Chennai Police

CHENNAI: The ghosts of the three extra-judicial encounter killings of history sheeters have come back to haunt the Greater Chennai City Police after the State Human Rights Commission ordered a suo motu inquiry into the three cases in three months.

The order came merely days after the Commission summoned city Commissioner A Arun to appear on Monday over an Assistant Commissioner’s unconcealed warning to a history sheeter’s family that he could be bumped off in an encounter.

Retired justice S Manikumar, chairman of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) directed the SP of the panel’s investigation team to inquire about the encounter killings that happened in the city since Arun assumed charge as the Commissioner. The SP has been instructed to submit a detailed report to the commission at the earliest.

The team will probe the killing of K Thiruvengadam, ‘Kakkathopu’ Balaji and ‘Seizing’ Raja.

Incidentally, the Madras High Court refused to restrain the commission and stay the order asking the city police Commissioner to appear before it on Monday.

The SHRC first took note of the matter after ACP Ilangovan openly issued an "encounter" threat to the family member of a history sheeter after Arun became the Commissioner on July 8.

The officer who was on a patrol with a posse of personnel told a history sheeter's wife that there was a chance that he would be bumped off in an encounter if he did not mend his ways. "If he is involved in any criminal activities, his limbs will be broken. If he indulges in serious crimes like murder, he will be killed in an encounter," the ACP said.

It was caught on camera and the video was posted on YouTube, which went viral soon afterwards. After the video came to its attention, the commission wondered whether the ACP was bolstered by Arun's comment that the police would speak to criminals “in a language they understand" in his first media briefing after becoming the Commissioner.

Arun was posted as the Commissioner merely three days after BSP State unit president K Armstrong was murdered by a gang. In reply to a question on the day he assumed charge, Arun had said there was no such thing as an encounter.