Thoothukudi: Brother cries for slain sibling, smells rat in cop's trigger

THOOTHUKUDI: A heart-rending episode amid the chaos of police firing here on Tuesday last has raised doubts whether one of the victims was finished off to settle personal scores, taking advantage of the violent situation in Thoothukudi.

This poignant story is about 28-year-old Maniraj, who ran an electrical shop opposite the old police quarters at Bryan Nagar here. On the fateful May 22, he received a call on his mobile from someone, recalled his anguished brother S. Velumani on Friday. Nobody in the family then even vaguely sensed that it was a call for the otherworld for Maniraj, as later he died in the firing.

But his family members are not willing to believe that a stray bullet fired by a policeman had accidentally killed him. Rather, they allege that it was a "planned murder" by a cop with whom the victim had previous enmity.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, S. Velumani, claimed Raja Dileepan, the constable who opened fire during the protest that day, was a regular customer to his brother Maniraj's shop. Dileepan had failed to repay a debt of Rs. 25,000 to Maniraj and they had a spat over the debt, even locked in a quarrel.

Velumani recounted that "under these circumstances", Maniraj received the phone call from a person on May 22 at 11-45 am. Immediately he left home and hours later, his body was found in the government hospital mortuary. "We came to know he was shot dead," says Veluman emotionally breaking down.

Velumani suspects that Raja Dileepan "must have killed his brother" due to the previous enmity. Hence, free and fair enquiry must be conducted into the incident, he added.