Five police officers sent to judicial custody in Tamil Nadu custodial death
According to the First Information Report (FIR), accessed by India Today, Head Constable Kannan stated that the Inspector of Thiruppuvanam and the Deputy Superintendent of Police had instructed officers to extract a clear account from Ajith regarding the stolen jewellery. The report claims Ajith initially named several people before allegedly confessing to the theft and leading police to a cowshed where he said the items were hidden.It further notes that, during the search, Ajith Kumar supposedly attempted to flee while removing an asbestos sheet, slipped, and fell. Head Constable Kannan claimed that he then left the location with other suspects to hand them over to their families, leaving Ajith in the custody of four other officers — Prabhu, Anand, Raja, and Sankaramanikandan. Later, Kannan reportedly received a call saying Ajith had suffered an epileptic episode while trying to escape again and had been taken to Thiruppuvanam Hospital. He was subsequently referred to Sivagangai Government Hospital, where he was declared brought dead at approximately 11.45 am on June 28.advertisementThe autopsy report has since cast significant doubt on the police account. It lists at least 18 injuries on Ajith Kumar's body, including wounds on his elbows, ankles, cheeks, hips, and ribs, along with dried blood on both ears and signs of blunt force trauma. The injuries span from head to toe, prompting allegations of custodial violence.In response, a case is being filed before the Madras High Court's Madurai Bench on behalf of actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party, seeking a court-monitored investigation into Ajith Kumar's death. The petition calls for the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ensure impartiality and accountability.Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami has condemned the incident, calling it a 'murder committed by the police under Stalin's government'. Referring to the autopsy report, he said, 'The injuries from head to legs are shocking. It is being said that he died due to the pressure exerted on the neck.' He criticised the authorities for attributing Ajith's death to an epileptic seizure, drawing parallels with the earlier custodial death of a man named Vignesh, and demanded that the Chief Minister respond.Palaniswami called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry and added that all 25 custodial deaths reported under the current administration amount to a breach of human rights. He urged the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to initiate a suo motu investigation.advertisementBJP state president Nainar Nagendran also wrote to the NHRC, seeking an independent inquiry into the case. - Ends
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