Chennai: A sub-inspector and two constables have been placed under suspension after a youth died during ‘questioning’ in their police station at Ilayangudi in Sivagangai district on October 2. This may be one more blow to the TN police image on human rights.
According to farmhand Ramu of Thiruvallur village near Ilayangudi, her son Malairaj, 23, a tempo driver, was taken by two policemen from his house on Oct. 2 morning around 9.30 for ‘routine enquiry’ at the police station. When her husband Boomi called Malairaj after some time, he assured him he would return soon and there was no need to worry. But at about 3 pm, Malairaj phoned asking for clothes because he was being remanded.
When a close relative Kumar went to the station at about 4 pm, the police reportedly pushed him out. There were two loud bangs from inside the station and Kumar forced his way in to see what happened.
Three cops came out dragging Malairaj, who appeared unconscious, to the government hospital close by. “Kumar phoned us to inform what happened and I ran there along with my daughter Nadia. Police were shifting Malairaj in 108 ambulance to the Sivagangai GH. We forced our way into the ambulance and traveled along. Doctors at the GH said my son was already dead”, sobbed Ramu.
She said her son had done no wrong but was killed in the station after being taken there under the pretext of a ‘minor’ enquiry. “They beat him to death. And no official has come to us to explain what happened”, she said.
The custodial death has rocked the police department. Sivagangai magistrate Venkatesa Perumal has begun the mandatory enquiry even as state CPI (M) secretary G. Ramakrishnan called for probe by a sitting high court judge.
“We want the government to grant the bereaved family a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and also a job for any member of Malairaj’s family. “The police have been taking Dalit activists under preventive custody in view of the Thevar Pooja at Pasumpon on October 30. One of them appears to be Malairaj, against whom a couple of cases of minor quarrelling have been pending. It’s a mystery how the boy ended up as a corpse”, said M. Kandasamy, Sivagangai Marxist leader.
“We have placed a SI and two constables under suspension. A magisterial probe has begun and further departmental action, if necessary, will be initiated against anyone guilty”, said Ramanathapuram SP, N. M. Myilvahanan, who is in charge of the Sivagangai district as well. He held a ‘peace’ discussion with Ilayangudi people following protests over Malairaj’s custodial death.
