CB-CID to probe 1 more Sathankulam custodial death

When a petition filed by S Vadivu from Asirvadhapuram, Sathankulam, mother of the victim, claiming that her son Mahendran was illegally detained by the Sathankulam police, who allegedly tortured him to death, came up before Justice R Pongiappan before the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday, the government counsel said the DGP, one of the respondents, had transferred the case to the CB-CID for further probe.

The petitioner claimed that her son Mahendran died after the Sathankulam police, including Inspector S Srithar and Sub-Inspector Raghu Ganesh, illegally detained him in connection with the murder of Jeyakumar of Peikulam, which reportedly occurred on May 18 this year. Mahendran was beaten up by Srithar and Ganesh and ultimately tortured to death in the guise of inquiry. Based on a complaint from Aalikumar, brother of the murdered Jeyakumar, the Sathankulam police had filed an FIR against nine people on the day of the incident. Even though Mahendran’s name was not in the FIR, the cops kept him in custody for two days.

His mother claimed that Mahendran was in very bad physical condition and lost consciousness after the police let him out on the night of May 24. He had to be admitted to Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital on June 11 and various tests had to be conducted. The CT scan showed blood clots in his brain and his condition deteriorated and he succumbed to his injuries on June 13. The petitioner said that the police later arrested her elder son Durai, adding, that Ganesh allegedly threatened Vadivu that Durai too would suffer the same fate if she dared to reveal the truth behind Mahendran’s death. Hence she had no other option than to receive Mahendran’s body without a post mortem examination.

In a letter dated July 11, DGP JK Tripathy had sought the Director General of Police, Crime Branch, CID, to arrange a thorough inquiry into the aforesaid contents of the petitioner and sought a report on further course of action depending upon findings of the inquiry.

A day after gaining custody of three jailed policemen involved in the Jayaraj-Bennix case, CBI sleuths, led by Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Shukla, took the trio to Sathankulam police station in Thoothukudi district on Tuesday to aid the investigation. Amid tight security, the accused, including Samadurai, head constable and constables Vail Muthu and Chelladurai, explained what occurred on the fated night of June 19 when the father-son duo were physically tortured. The interrogation lasted four hours. A woman cop posted as the station writer was also quizzed for two hours. The CBI team again questioned Jayaraj’s relatives for the second time. The Tamil Nadu State Minorities Welfare Commission has issued notices to Thoothukudi Collector and Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tirunelveli Range, seeking their explanation in connection with the case.