Thoothukudi trader dies in police custody

While the relatives and friends of the deceased alleged that he was beaten to death by the police personnel, the cops refuted the charges and claimed that he died due to some ailment. The deceased, Pandiarajan was running a cleaning powder distribution agency at Polpettai in Thoothukudi. On Thursday night, he had gone to attend a function at a church in Chidamabaram Nagar in Thoothukudi. 

During the function, there was a dispute between him and a few other persons at the function venue. As the dispute intensified, constable Rooba, who was on duty at the spot tried to broker peace between the two sides. However, both groups asked the woman cop to not to intervene in their problem. It is alleged that Pandiarajan verbally abused the constable. Later, Rooba informed the Thoothukudi south police station and a team, led by SI Chanthiselvi, reached the spot.  The SI allegedly bundled Pandiarajan into the police vehicle and took him to the station. There she reportedly started beating him up for abusing the woman constable. 

During the police action, Pandiarajan swooned. The cops rushed him to the Government Thoothukudi Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. The police then informed Pandiarajan’s family members, who came to the GH and alleged that he was beaten to death by the cops. The body was sent to the same hospital for a post mortem. Pandiarajan’s wife Shanthi claimed that a group of policemen had come to their house around midnight asking for medicines he was taking for a heart ailment. “When I inquired about my husband, the policemen were tight-lipped. Around 4 am, we were informed that he has been taken to the Thoothukudi GH. When we went there, the police told us that he had died.” 

The family members, who blamed the cops for Pandiarajan’s death, claimed that the policemen came to their house to get the medicines only after he had died in a bid to cover up the issue. Meanwhile, Pandiarajan’s friend Manigandaraja, a lawyer, claimed that on hearing the news of Pandiarajan being picked up by the police, he had gone to the station and requested the officials not to beat him as he was a heart patient. 

“However, the policemen turned a deaf ear to my request,” he said.  “There were marks on the back of Pandiarajan’s body indicating that he was beaten with a belt. Inspector Parthiban and SI Chantidevi should be suspended and a case should be registered against them,” Manigandaraja said. However, police refuted the allegations and said Pandiarajan had died of ailment. 

Thoothukudi SP Ashwin Kotnis claimed that there were video cameras installed inside the station and the footages were checked by the Judicial Magistrate, who carried out an inspection in the morning. He added that if the policemen had beaten up Pandiarajan, it will be mentioned in the post-mortem report.  The SP said that all the legal procedures had been completed and added that strict action will be taken against the personnel If the allegations are found true.