THOOTHUKUDI: With eight murders reported within two weeks in Thoothukudi, the district police have allegedly broken the hands of four accused, in a bid to ‘curb’ crime. According to sources, one Santhana Maria (32) was murdered at Ganesh Nagar on May 4, while Regina Mary (47) was killed by her husband Nagendran at Muthiahpuram on May 5.
On May 7, Gurusamy (64) was killed inside a Tasmac bar in Kovilpatti, while one Muthupandi (42) of Barathinagar was killed by his friends in Kovilpatti on May 9. Kalimuthu (40) of Srivaikuntam was killed in a family dispute on May 10, while one Alagumuthu was killed in a drunken brawl on May 11 and B Palraj of Cruzpuram was beheaded on the same day. Advocate Senthil Arumugam (32) was killed by a gang in front of his house in Anna Nagar late on May 11, allegedly over a land dispute.
While the police arrested all the suspects in connection with the eight murders, it is pertinent to note that P Jeyaram (28) and S Kandasubramanian (28), suspects in the killing of Palraj, and L Gopinath and S Sankar alias Sankaralingam (28), who are touted to have killed Senthil Arumugam have suffered bone fractures on their hands. In a statement, police claimed that Gopinath and Sankar were injured when they hit a centre median as the police chased them.
Police sources said that the murders have been spiking, despite various measures such as constant vigilance. “However, killings rising out family disputes cannot be controlled. Similarly, murders that take place under the influence of alcohol and arguments cannot be curbed, the source stated. Sources privy to the investigation said that the police break the hands of suspects who commit grave crimes, intentionally and willfully.
Commenting on the development, People's Watch Executive Director Henri Tiphagne, said custodial torture can never be allowed, irrespective of the antecedents of the accused or the suspects. Absolute prohibition of torture is the ultimatum, and the State Human Rights Commission must look into it since it has been normalized as a deterrent, he said. Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police L Balaji Saravanan was not available for comment.