Police trying to destroy evidence: DSP Vishnupriya’s father

The DSP’s father also alleged that the police had seized his daughter’s laptop, two mobile phones and cameras to destroy evidence. Besides, some of the pages of the suicide note are also missing, he said.

“My daughter is not a coward to commit suicide. She was very bold. Police higher officials are responsible for her death,” said a sobbing Ravi, the father of 26-year-old DSP Vishnupriya.

The DSP had informed her family that she was facing threats on WhatsApp from the accused in Dalit youth Gokul Raj and pressure from higher officials in the probe. “She had no family problems. She only faced pressure from higher officials,” said Ravi who works in Puducherry government sub-treasury. Stating that his daughter did not wish to continue in the police force, Ravi said she wanted to write the Group I exams again and become a sub-collector.

“Even two days ago, she had come home. We asked her if we could arrange for her marriage. And she said ÿes,” said the DSP’s father. Senior police officers were claiming that the DSP died because of family issues to divert attention from their wrongdoings, Ravi said.

On Saturday morning, tension gripped the Salem government hospital as the DSP’s father launched into a protest, insisting that he would not receive the body unless a CBI probe was ordered into his daughter’s death.

As crowds swelled at the Salem government hospital, hundreds of police men were deployed on the hospital premises to avert untoward incidents. Later, the DSP’s father insisted that the entire postmortem proceedings be done by private doctors and should be videographed.

However, Salem police commissioner A. Amalraj held discussions with the DSP’s father and convinced him that private doctors cannot perform post-mortem. Later, the autopsy was done by the government doctors and the entire proceedings were videographed.

Amid security, the body of the deceased police officer was later taken to her native Cuddalore for performing the last rites.

In a sensational disclosure that could cause major embarrassment to the higher echelons of the Tamil Nadu police force, the Keezhakarai DSP said that Vishnupriya had often lamented that higher officials treated her as a “money collecting agent”

The Tiruchengode DSP, Vishnupriya, who had probed into the murder of the Dalit youth, Gokulraj, was found hanging from the bedroom hook of her official residence on Friday afternoon.

The Keezhakarai DSP who had rushed to Salem to see her friend’s body, said pressure from higher officials in the probe into the Dalit youth’s murder left Vishnupriya shattered.

“She (Vishnupriya) told me several times that she was not happy with the probe into the murder of the Dalit youth. She had complained that there was immense torture from the SP and the DIG. They had ordered her to arrest and detain under the Goondas Act persons who were not connected with the case at all. This was the cause for the suicide,” said a sobbing Maheswari

Breaking down inconsolably, the Keezhakarai DSP said that she had spoken to Vishnupriya at 2.48 pm on Friday. “She hung up the phone saying that the SP was on the line and she had to go for the Vinayaka Chathurthi procession. “I tried calling her again some time later, but her phone was switched off. In the evening, I was too shocked to hear that she had committed suicide,” Maheswari said.

Besides, Maheswari disclosed that her friend Vishnupriya had informed her that a higher official had treated her disrespectfully and frequently abused her that she was unfit for the police service. “Vishnupriya was an honest officer and everyone knows this,” said Maheswari. “She has often lamented that higher officials were considering her as a money collecting agent,” Maheswari added.

The two women officers had cleared the Group I service about six years ago and underwent the training together to join the police force. “Four women officers were selected in Group I and underwent training. We became very close during the training period. Of them, one had already quit the police force, Now, Vishnupriya has ended her life. I may lose my job for my disclosures against higher officials. But, I don’t mind,” said Maheswari, wiping her moist eyes.