TIRUCHY: Family members of Ariyalur-based social activist R Viswanathan, 70, who was beaten to death and his body buried in the Vellar riverbed for having exposed many a corrupt government official, including a VAO for accepting bribe, on Tuesday expressed disappointment at the progress of police investigation into the case.
Just days before he met his end, the whistle-blower, hailing from Chozhankudi, got a death threat allegedly at the behest of the VAO of Manapathur. Viswanathan had reported this to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption and the matter went to the Ariyalur Judicial Magistrate Court. Four days later, the activist was reported missing and it was said, he was kidnapped.
Subsequently, he was murdered and the body buried in the Vellar riverbed near the Cuddalore-Ariyalur border. Following this, police arrested three persons namely Bala Murugan, Baskar and Azhagar on suspicion. Among the three, Bala Murugan is said to be sandalwood smuggler Veerappan’s accomplice.
Now, relatives of the social activist have come up with allegations against the police saying the investigations are being carried out at a slow pace. Speaking to Express, R Govindarajan, younger brother of Viswanathan said, “He was like a ‘Traffic’ Ramasamy of our locality, submitting petitions against the poor condition of amenities in the village like bad roads, bus stops.”
As a result, Viswanathan incurred the wrath of anti-social elements, politicians and even government officials, his brother added. “He had reported about a VAO a couple of years back after the latter was caught red-handed for accepting bribe. My brother reported about the VAO to the Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) and the case was later moved to a Judicial Magistrate Court in Ariyalur. On September 11, 2016, he filed a case with the District Judicial Magistrate seeking protection for himself as his life was at risk. Four days later, he went missing,” Govindarajan added.
One of the accused, among those arrested by the police, was Baskar from Sirkalthur, who is a relative of the VAO. “Police personnel have always acted in favour of the VAO since the beginning, and even now they are reluctant to question him,” he lamented.
On the other side, People’s Watch, an organisation working for social activism, which has fielded a fact- finding team in the crime location has come up with allegations against several government departments.
I Aseervatham, State organiser of People’s Watch, told Express, “Police and Revenue Departments support the VAO.”
According to the NGO, the 70-year-old had been a regular visitor to the weekly grievances meeting in Ariyalur district Collectorate and used to petition frequently on various civic issues. “Because of his petitions against environmental issues like sand mining, a couple of sand-mining contractors have paid penalty of about `60,000 each for illegal mining from lakes in the locality,” Aseervatham added. “The murderers would have thought that the family of Viswanathan were naive and had nobody to help as his son is working abroad and others did not have a proper educational background,” he said.
The victim’s side said, they have been banking on judicial and media personnel to bring the real perpetrators to book and take action for the crime in an underdeveloped district like Ariyalur.