Karur activist murder: Court seeks ATR from police
The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, which has taken suo motu cognisance of the double murder incident in Karur district where an activist and his son were reportedly murdered for their efforts to retrieve an encroached lake, on Friday asked the Kulithalai Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sukumar, to submit a action taken report (ATR) against the accused and the steps the State government have taken to save waterbodies.
By : migrator
Update: 2019-08-02 19:36 GMT
Thiruchirapalli
Activist V Nallathambi (45), who was fighting encroachment on a 150-acre lake that is poromboke land, was reportedly murdered along with his father Veeramani alias Ramar (70) on July 29 at Kulithalai in Karur district, and the police upon registering a case, were on the search for the accused.
Meanwhile, six of the accused, identified as Perumal alias Soundarajan (36), Prabakaran (27), Kaviarasan (34, Sasikumar (34), Stalin (22) and Shanmugam (28)-all from Muthalaipatti-surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate on Wednesday and were lodged in the central prison. However, it may be noted that another person who is suspected to be the prime accused, escaped on Thursday while presenting at the Madurai court.
Having taken suo motu cognisance of the case, the two-member bench of the Madras High Court comprising Justices V Pugalendhi and M Sathyanarayanan after hearing the case asked the police how safe activists are. They also sought the details of the compensation for the kin of the victims and the steps initiated to protect waterbodies in the State.
Referring to earlier orders on the protection of waterbodies, the bench asked the police to submit a report on it and enquired if all the accused in the case were arrested and compensation was awarded to the family of the deceased.
Kulithalai DSP Sukumar, who was present at the court, then presented the steps initiated to arrest the culprits behind the reported murder. He had also told the court that all the accused were arrested. He also said that six accused had surrendered already, while one was arrested.
Key accused escapes, Inspector suspended
Suspecting the collusion of the police with the prime accused in the Karur double murder case that led to the latter’s escape from arrest, the Kulithalai police inspector was on Friday suspended from service.
According to sources,Jayakanthan was the prime accused in the reported murder of activist Nallathambi and his father Veeramani alias Ramar at Muthalaipatti near Kulithalai in Karur district for their attempts to retrieve an encroached lake.
On Thursday, Jayakanthan went to the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court but could not make it in as the court staff had asked him to produce original documents, sources said. Soon, Jayakanthan contacted one of his aides and reportedly escaped from the spot on a bike. The incident created tension, and higher officials suspect the involvement of cops and their lethargic attitude for failing to register a case that enabled the escape of the accused.
Meanwhile, the police sent a report against Kulithalai inspector Baskar stating that he had links with Jayakanthan,which prevented a case from being registered against him.
On Friday, the DIG (Tiruchy Range), Balakrishnan, who conducted an inquiry into the incident,sent Baskar a suspension order stating to have indirectly supported the accused.
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