Latest news with #Ajithkumar
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Congress alleges BJP-Nikita link in Ajithkumar custodial murder, Nainar rejects it
SIVAGANGA: A slugfest broke out between TNCC and BJP on Friday over the alleged political affiliation of JP Nikita, on whose theft complaint security guard B Ajithkumar was picked up by police and allegedly assaulted, leading to his death. Speaking to reporters after visiting Ajithkumar's family, TNCC president Selvaperunthagai said Nikita had played a role in organising the recently held Murugan Maanadu in Madurai. He also mentioned that she is a follower of BJP leader K Annamalai. TN BJP president Nainar Nagenthran, who also visited Ajithkumar's family, responded to media queries about this. When a reporter asked him about a picture of Annamalai posing with a person presumed to be Nikita, Nainar said he was not aware of the development. Further, he said anyone can take photos with a politician in public life, and it does not imply they are associated with the party. Also, he denied Nikita's role in the Murugan Maanadu.
NDTV
4 days ago
- NDTV
Another Tamil Nadu Custodial Assault Video Surfaces, Cops Transferred
Chennai: Even as Tamil Nadu reels under public anger over the alleged custodial death of 27-year-old temple security guard B. Ajithkumar in Sivaganga district, a fresh controversy has erupted with the emergence of CCTV footage showing police brutality at a station in Theni district. The disturbing video, which surfaced on social media on July 2, shows C. Ramesh (34), an autorickshaw driver from Devadanapatti, being repeatedly beaten by policemen inside the Devadanapatti police station. The footage has reignited public concerns over police excesses across the state. According to sources, the incident took place on January 14 when Ramesh was brought to the station for allegedly causing a public nuisance near the Arisikadai bus stop. Based on complaints from local residents, a police team detained Ramesh, reportedly in an inebriated state, and brought him to the station. Ramesh was allegedly caned inside the station by multiple officers before being booked under Section 296 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for public disturbance. He was later released on station bail. What has stunned the public is how the incident came to light. A lawyer who had visited the police station on the same day for an unrelated matter filed a Right to Information (RTI) request in order to verify his presence at the station. A month later, when the district police responded and provided the CCTV footage, the visuals revealed the brutal assault on Ramesh. Though the video initially remained within legal circles, it was shared on social media on July 2 by the lawyer. The footage gained traction and went viral in the wake of the public outcry over Ajithkumar's custodial death in Thirupuvanam. Following the viral video, the Theni district police issued a press statement denying custodial torture. The statement claimed that the police had used 'minimum necessary force' to subdue Ramesh, who was allegedly intoxicated and uncontrollable at the time. Despite this denial, Theni District Superintendent of Police R. Shiva Prasad has ordered a departmental inquiry led by an Additional Superintendent of Police. Pending investigation, Inspector K. Abdulla, Special Sub-Inspector Shiva Sambu, Head Constable S. Pandian, and Constables Marichamy and Valirajan have been transferred to the Armed Reserve (AR) unit. The incident has intensified calls for greater accountability in police stations across Tamil Nadu, with rights activists demanding independent probes and stronger safeguards against custodial abuse.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Sivaganga custodial death victim's kin get Aavin job, Rs 5 lakh; parties offer support
MADURAI/SIVAGANGA: As per directions of Chief Minister M K Stalin, Cooperatives Minister K R Periakaruppan handed over the appointment order for a government job to B Naveenkumar, the brother of custodial death victim Ajithkumar, at his home on Wednesday. Naveenkumar, who currently works in a private firm, has been appointed as senior factory assistant of Sivaganga District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd (Aavin) in Karaikudi. A housing plot of three cents has also been allotted to the family. Speaking to reporters, Minister Periakaruppan said on behalf of DMK, a sum of Rs 5 lakh has been given to the family. He added that the DMK and state government would not stop supporting the family with just these measures. Responding to a query, the minister said, 'It has not been confirmed that Ajithkumar committed the theft as alleged. Hence, the black mark on his name, that he is an accused in the case, will be removed.' Apart from him, AIADMK leader R B Udhayakumar, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, Puthiya Tamilagam president S Krishnasamy and TVK chief actor Vijay called on the family. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami spoke to the family over the phone and offered his condolences. Palaniswami told the family that AIADMK would support them at all costs. He highlighted that the party had filed a petition in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking justice for Ajithkumar's death. 'AIADMK will not stop until every person responsible for the death is punished,' he said. Speaking during a joint protest organised by the AIADMK and the BJP at Thirupuvanam, BJP leader H Raja said the state government must grant Rs 50L solatium to the family.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- New Indian Express
Can't forgive cops who ‘stole' his life: Family mourns Ajithkumar's death, demands justice
SIVAGANGA: The tears welling up in their eyes are no match to the agony they are feeling, the loss they are encountering and the void they are experiencing, as this mother-brother duo breaks down whenever Ajithkumar's name crops up. All efforts of politicos, cutting across party lines — from DMK to TVK — to console the family, are in vain. The air is pregnant with grief and anger, as evident from the posters condemning the police department, pasted across the streets in the non-descript village of Madapuram near Thirupuvanam. 'Why should they (the police) kill him? They could have let him free after breaking his hand or leg, as that's their so-called routine,' tells B Malathy (52), mother of Ajithkumar, to TNIE during a visit to the village on Wednesday. Since the death of her husband Balaguru years ago, she says, it had been just the three of them — Ajithkumar, his brother B Naveenkumar and Malathy. 'I can't sleep at night without him,' she says in a quivering voice. Meanwhile, Naveenkumar raised his doubt about the unknown IAS officer, who is said to be behind the incident. 'I don't know who this officer is, or if such an officer even exists. But whoever is behind the incident, they must be punished,' he says. Going down the memory lane, Naveenkumar said his brother had always lived for the family. After completing Class 10, Ajithkumar undertook various odd jobs, including one at a cell phone tower, to support the family. For the last two to three months, he had been working as a temporary guard at Madapuram temple. The Rs 8,000 he earned was fully spent on the family.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Experts flag lack of law on custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu
The custodial death of a 29-year-old temple watchman, Ajith Kumar on June 29 has rekindled the conversation on police violence in Tamil Nadu. India reported 73 deaths in police custody across the country in 2022, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. AIADMK members and others pay tribute to Ajithkumar who died in custody, in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday (PTI) In this list, the state of Gujarat has the highest number of custodial deaths at 14 followed by Maharashtra (11) while Tamil Nadu is sixth with five deaths. However, for the same year, according to data collated by Tamil Nadu based People's Watch, a human rights NGO which represents several families of victims of custodial deaths, there were 11 custodial deaths in 2022 which included a 17-year-old boy. In the years of 2018-2019, out of the 136 custodial deaths reported in India, 11 were from Tamil Nadu. Gujarat (13) followed by Uttar Pradesh (12) topped the list, according to information based on NCRB furnished in the Lok Sabha in 2023 to a question by Thol Thirumavalavan, MP, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), an ally of the DMK. The following year, in 2019-2020, out of 112 deaths in India, 12 were from Tamil Nadu–rising to become the state with the second highest custodial deaths along with Gujarat (12) when Madhya Pradesh was on top. According to the activists and opposition in Tamil Nadu, there have been 24 custodial deaths since the DMK formed the government in 2021. However, according to the reply in the Lok Sabha, Tamil Nadu's custodial deaths have come down from 2020-2023 reporting 13 deaths during the three years. 'The fundamental problem is that we do not have a law to report custodial torture,' said Aseervadhan, state coordinator, People's Watch, Tamil Nadu based NGO. 'And when cases are reported, it's usually the low ranked personnel such as inspector or sub-inspector who will be arrested. But, if the custodial torture is committed by an IPS officer, he is protected.' The activist was referring to the case of Balveer Singh, an IPS officer in the rank of an assistant superintendent of police who is accused of knocking out the teeth of the 10 suspects in Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district in 2023. The case is being heard by a judicial magistrate. The government suspended him in 2023 but reinstated him in a few months. Tamil Nadu does not have institutional measures to prevent custodial torture — such as one in the Kerala Police Act 2011 which mandates any police officer who witnesses torture or corruption must report it without fear of reprisal. The issue of police brutality is back in spotlight in Tamil Nadu after a temple watchman, Ajith Kumar, was picked up by the police on suspicion of theft, though he wasn't even an accused, on June 27 in the Sivaganga district. Though no FIR was registered and he wasn't taken into custody, he was beaten by police in the temple where he worked. When police took him to a hospital two days later, he was declared as 'brought dead'. Reading the injuries inflicted on Kumar, the Madurai bench of the Madras high court on July 1 said that, 'Even an ordinary murderer would not have caused this many injuries to a person.' Another staff in the temple secretary recorded a video of Ajith kneeling down while a policeman beat him with a stick. Five policemen have been arrested on charges of murder. They picked up Ajith after receiving a complaint from a woman that she had given her car keys to him to park the car after which gold jewellery from her bag inside the car was missing. While the court has ordered a judicial probe and chief minister M K Stalin transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a look at the status of other major custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu. Jayaraj and Bennicks, Thoothukudi, 2020 Ajith's death marks five years since father and son P Jayaraj (59) and J Bennicks (31) were tortured to death inside a police station in Thoothukudi district in June 2020. The brutality inflicted on the father and son shook the country. The trial in the case has been underway for the last three years in the Additional District and Sessions Court- 1 in Madurai district. 'The last update was on June 23 when the bench dismissed a bail petition filed by the suspended police inspector S Sridhar,' Jayaraj's son-in-law Vinod said. The family has been tirelessly tracking court proceedings. 'It's been five years since they died but we think about them every day. We will be patient and fight until the policemen accused in the case are punished.' The CBI is currently handling the case. The father and son were arrested on June 19, 2020 and lodged in Kovilpatti sub-jail for keeping their mobile phone shop in the main market of Sathankulam town open during a curfew imposed during coronavirus lockdown. A policewoman is the only eyewitness in the case, and she told Judicial magistrate M S Barathidasan, who investigated the incident, that both Jayaraj and Bennicks were beaten through the night on June 19 and blood stains on the lathis and a table were visible. The current opposition AIADMK was governing Tamil Nadu then. Whether Tamil Nadu has been under the DMK or AIADMK rule, police excess in the state has been a constant indicating a systemic crisis. 'The challenge generally in custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu is that higher officials in the police usually try to cover it up. Like in Ajith's case, they try to give the family money to silence them,' says Aseervathan, state coordinator, People's Watch. 'But, a new challenge is that now even ruling government politicians get involved whether it is the DMK or AIADMK and keep the family under their control so that they don't file complaints.' V Vignesh, Chennai, 2022 The policemen involved in the custodial death of a Dalit youngster V Vignesh (25) in Chennai have been charged for murder based on the post mortem report, chief minister M K Stalin informed the Tamil Nadu assembly in May 2022, a month after he died. The post mortem report of Vignesh confirmed that he had 13 injuries which included several contusions on his head, eyebrows, cheeks, limbs, an abrasion on his gluteal region and a fracture in his right leg. CCTV footage from the night he died on April 18 came to light in which Vignesh can be seen running away from the police and of them chasing and catching hold of him. 'CB-CID has completed its investigation and trial began last month at a Chennai court,' said Aseervathan. Thangamani, Tiruvannamalai, 2022 Thangamani (only first name) a 48-year-old man, died in custody in Tiruvannamalai. His post mortem report revealed that he had several contusions in various parts of his body in not more than six hours before his death and a laceration of his tongue. Police arrested Thangamani on April 26, 2022 on the charge of selling arrack (a country liquor). On April 27, Thangamani was admitted to the hospital where he died the same night around 8.30. This case too has been transferred to CB-CID and the chief minister said that a detailed enquiry would be conducted. 'But, no chargesheet has been filed yet in the case,' said Aseervathan. Gokul Sri, Chengalpattu, 2023 A 17-year-old child in conflict with Gokul Sri was beaten to death inside a government observation home in Chengalpattu December 2022. The boy had been booked for theft and died on the day he was admitted to the home and enquiries and post-mortem revealed that the staff had beaten him based on a complaint filed by his mother. Six staff were arrested in January 2023 on charges of murder. An all-party meeting was held in Chengalpattu demanding an inspection to be conducted on all Observation Homes by a retired judge of the High Court. In April, 2024 a government order was issued that a one-mad committee of justice (retired) K Chandru will go into the working of homes under the Juvenile Justice Act in Tamil Nadu to improve their efficiency. '96 injuries were found in the post mortem. CB-CID which is probing the case have not filed a chargesheet yet,' said Aseervadhan.
