THOOTHUKUDI/MADURAI: Following court orders, CB-CID personnel in Tirunelveli started investigation into the alleged custodial torture and death of S Mahendran (28) of Peikulam, a village near Sathankulam, on Wednesday. Thoothukudi SP S Jeyakumar handed over the case details to Tirunelveli DSP of CB-CID Anil Kumar on Wednesday.
Sources said that later in the day, the CB-CID personnel, headed by Anil Kumar, inquired with Mahendran’s sister Santhana Mari for two hours from 4.30 pm at her house in KVK Nagar in Thoothukudi town and recorded her statement. According to the mother of the deceased, S Sudalai Vadivu, Mahendran died of brain damage after being beaten up by the then Sathankulam SI Ragu Ganesh and police volunteers (Friends of Police).
Earlier in the day, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court sought a status report from the Deputy Superintendent of Police of CB-CID, Tirunelveli range, on the progress of inquiry into a case of alleged custodial torture at Sathankulam in Thoothukudi. The Director General of Police (DGP) had recently transferred the case, registered over the death of one Mahendran from Sathankulam, to the CB-CID. When this development was informed to Justice R Pongiappan, the judge gave the above direction and adjourned the case to August 7.