Inspector killed during Rajasthan operation missing from martyrs’ list on police website

It has been two years since inspector Periyapandian was killed in a shootout in Rajasthan where his team went to nab a gang of burglars. While senior police officers never forget to visit his family members and pay respects to his photo, be it on his death anniversary, which falls on December 13, or the Police Commemoration Day (October 21), the late officer has not been given the honour yet.

The martyrs’ list, which presently has the names and details of 27 police personnel, including constables to Deputy Superintendents, who lost their lives in the line of duty, has not been updated since 2016. C Munusamy, a head constable from Hosur who attained was killed while chasing an accused is the latest name in the list. The first entry in the list of police martyrs is sub-inspector Ayyapazham who died on April 23, 1979, after he was attacked by a mob with machetes on Tirunelveli Sankaran Koil Road.

Though the police website recently underwent a makeover to make it more citizen-friendly and makes it easier for public to use its online services, including registering of complaints online, the list of martyrs as well as the details of the transfer and postings of officials often do not reflect in the contact list.

The State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) is responsible to update the martyrs’ list in the State police website. When contacted regarding the incomplete list, Additional Superintendent Sridevi said that the department is yet to receive the details from the respective district, and added that she would look into the matter soon.

Periyapandian, who was the law and order inspector of Maduravoyal, was part of a special team formed to nab a burglary gang that escaped with 3.5 kg gold from a jewellery shop in Rajamangalam, in 2017. In the wee hours of December 13, when the team was at Jaitaran police station jurisdiction at Pali district in Rajasthan to nab the main suspect, Nathuram, Periyapandian was shot dead.

The police initially claimed that he was shot by the gang, but it was later revealed that he died in an accidental firing of the pistol by a fellow officer. Periyapandian is survived by his wife Banu Rekha and two sons.