Demanding justice for the father-son duo who died in police custody in Thoothukudi district, DMK President M K Stalin, DMK MP from Thoothukudi constituency, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, and MDMK general secretary Vaiko sought serious action against the police personnel responsible for the deaths.
The Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, should take responsibility for the ‘lock up murder in judicial custody,’ Stalin said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the policemen should be punished.
Terming the deaths as a ‘murder by the police’, Vaiko, in a statement, said an enquiry commission should be set up to probe the case. The police had beaten up 26-year-old Phenix and his father Jayaraj (56) before lodging them in the Kovilpatti sub-jail.
In a complaint to Director General of Police, J K Tripathi, Kanimozhi said that the police had covered up details of the case from the magistrate while seeking judicial custody and that it was a serious violation of human rights.
Transferring the policemen involved in the incident to the reserve force would not be a solution to the problem, she said and wanted a murder case to the filed against them.
The deceased had kept their cell phone shop at the Sathankulam bus stand open on June 19 when the policemen had asked them to close to, leading to a verbal argument. Following that both the father and son were beaten up at the police station and then lodged in the sub-jail.
Phenix was taken to the Kovilpatti GH, where he died and the next day the father also died in hospital. Local traders claiming that the two shopkeepers died due to police torture in custody and sat on a protest, blocking the road in Sathankulam.
