NAMAKKAL: The brutal murder of the young woman, S Swathi, took a decidedly casteist turn on Wednesday, after a controversial caste leader, the prime accused in an honour killing case, issuing a warning that the suspect, Ramkumar, will be punished even if the courts release him.
Police slit Ram Kumar's throat: Dad of Swathi's murder accused Yuvaraj gets royal reception after coming out of Vellore jail on bail |
“Ramkumar cannot come out of jail. He will be punished. Even if somebody manage to get him released by crook or hook, he will be punished. Above all, there is God. But God will not come, he will sent his representative (to punish Ramkumar). We will know his identity only when the punishment is given," said S Yuvaraj, the founder of the fringe caste outfit, Dheeran Chinnamalai Gounder Peravai.
Yuvaraj is the prime accused in the murder of Dalit engineer Gokulraj who was allegedly in a relationship with a caste Hindu girl. Yuvaraj is now out on conditional bail.
As he has done a few times in the past, Yuvaraj made these controversial remarks in an audio clip that was circulated widely on social media and instant messaging platforms. The latest audio clip ran for 17.21 minutes.
Recently, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan had raised suspicions about the case, alleging that Ramkumar, a Dalit boy from Tirunelveli, may not have been the murderer.
In the clip, Yuvaraj said there was no room for any suspicion that Ramkumar was the killer, and charged leaders including those from Dalit parties of playing votebank politics. Leaders like Thirumavalavan were deliberately spreading rumours, he alleged.
Yuvaraj also attacked Ramkumar’s lawyer Ramara as a person having no integrity. "Ramaraj was forced to seek voluntary retirement after being caught in bribe charges," he said in the clip.
He also lashed out at DMK president M Karunanidhi for his comments on the case. Last week, Karunanidhi had referred Ramkumar’s father’s allegation that his son was being framed, and that he had not slit his own throat as was claimed by the police. Such remarks, Yuvaraj said, was not expected from a leader of his stature
Yuvaraj shot to infamy following Gokulraj’s murder allegedly for ‘daring to marry a girl from intermediary caste’. He was absconding for while, but even with the State police hot on his heels, he managed to give a phone interview to a Tamil news channel and released his comments over audio clips periodically. These spread wide and fast over various channels including WhatsApp, bringing much embarrassment to the Tamil Nadu police. He finally surrendered, and was released on conditional bail.
The Gounders, the community that he claims to represent, are an influential intermediary caste community in Western Tamil Nadu.