COIMBATORE: A 20-year-old college student, who acted as an informer for the killer gang which hacked the Dalit youth Shankar to death, surrendered in a Nilakottai court in Dindigul district on Friday. The second year B.Com student, Prasanna, who was friend of Jagadeesan, the kingpin of the killer gang, gave information about the movements of Shankar and his wife Kausalya. Police say he was paid for keeping tabs on Shankar.
The honour killing on Sunday, which triggered a statewide outrage, was captured on the CCTV that was installed in a commercial complex, near the Udumalpet bus stand. The CCTV image shows a boy identifying Shankar to the killers.
The police say that the boy who follows Shankar and Kausalya is Prasanna. A police official from Udumalpet told DC, Prasanna appears in the Whatsapp video, talks to the killer gang and moves away. “We don’t know whether Prasana was aware of the murder plan, he may have given the information about the movement of Shankar without even knowing the murder plot,” the official said. The special police team has nabbed five key accused in the honour killing case. Besides, Kausalya’s father Chinnasamy who had allegedly hired the killer gang to eliminate his son-in-law, surrendered in the court and has been lodged in prison. Kausalya has held her mother, Annalakshmi, uncle and grandparents responsible for the murder.
With unscheduled power cuts imposed in Coimbatore region, residents and industrialists in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts are fuming over sudden power cut over the past few days. They fear return of the black days that haunted Coimbatore till a couple of summers ago. Industrial belts in urban limits also experiencing power cut, which has left manufacturers a worried lot. The Kovai Power Driven Pumps and Spares Manufacturers Association head K Maniraj, said, “the power cut for two hours a day will create immediate impact for industries. But, the sudden change makes the industrialists fear that the worst situation we experienced in previous years with 10 hours power cut may return.”
If power cut increases, industries will be forced to use generators, leading to increase in production cost and expenditures. “About 80 per cent of micro industries not affordable for generators and the production would be hit severely. Workers will be rendered jobless again.”The Coimbatore Tirupur District Micro and Cottage Entrepreneurs Association (COTMA), president K Ravikumar, predicts that the power cut might increase in summer.
“Rural areas are affected with more hours of power cut, compared to urban areas and industrial feeder areas. The beginning of power cut has no direct impact now. However it will increase during summer and there is need of a pre-plan to handle.” A resident at Ondipudur, Ramesh, said, “the power cut for a few hours during day time could be manageable. The night hours without power makes us sleepless what with, sultry climate and mosquito bites.”
Meanwhile, industrialists demanded that Tangedco take up measures immediately. The general secretary, of South India Collar shirts and Inner wear Small scale Manufacturers Association (SISMA), said, “electricity generation has come down drastically at all the thermal power stations due to various issues including scarcity of coal and improper maintenance.” Windmills are yet to help. The windmill power generation is also yet to provide expected power. The power cut will increase, if state government does not gear up immediately.”
