THOOTHUKUDI: Adding to the unending list of custodial deaths reported in the State, a man, who was picked up for interrogation after he ‘dared’ to enter into a verbal duel with a woman constable, died under police custody in the small hours of Friday.
The deceased, identified as A Pandiarajan (34), a small-time trader of West Polpettai, had been to Abhishekanathar church in the town along with his friend to partake in a feast (called asanam in local parlance) arranged by the church for the common public on Thursday evening.
Showing the one token he had, he and his friend tried to enter the banquet hall, but the woman constable present there to regulate the crowd objected saying only one person is allowed for a token. This led to a heated argument between Pandiarajan and the policewoman. Other cops, who were present at the venue, along with the policewoman took Pandiarajan to South Police Station for interrogation only to deliver the news of his death later.
Pandiarajan’s wife Santhi (26) told reporters that two police constables came calling to her house at midnight asking for pills which her husband used to take everyday. “They noted down the full address and the details of our family. Around 4 am today, the police informed me about my husband’s death,” she said with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Sources said police took Pandiarajan at midnight to the Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The South Police have registered a case. Judicial Magistrate Annamalai inspected the body and monitored the post-mortem.
Pandiarajan’s relatives refused to receive his body, demanding the arrest of Inspector Parthiban, Sub-Inspector Santhiselvi and other cops, who, they said, were responsible for his death.
Meanwhile, CPM district secretary Arjunan demanded a fair probe into the case. He also insisted for a government job for Pandiarajan’s wife on whom the burden of bringing up their two little children, aged 4 and 6, has fallen now.