KANNIYAKUMARI: A day after three prison staff were arrested in connection with the alleged custodial death of remand prisoner Sabari Varman in Nagercoil prison, the police arrested eight prisoners on Wednesday for attacking the victim in his cell.
Murder charge was registered against all the suspects, police sources said. The family has demanded a second autopsy and refused to accept the body till its demands are met.
According to sources, the arrested prisoners – identified as V Visnu ( 21), A Sarathi alias Cross Sarathi ( 19), A Jegan (40), J Sarath (20), R Veriya Perumal ( 36), G Sethuram ( 30), A Ajith (29) and R Arvind – had assaulted Sabari Vasan in his cell around 12am on Monday for allegedly making loud noise following which prison staff intervened and allegedly attacked the victim.
On Tuesday, grade-I warden N Jegan, chief head warden N Suresh, and Grade-II warden J Sivakumar of Nagercoil prison were arrested. They were remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday.
As of 7.30 pm on Wednesday, Sabari Varman’s family members did not receive the body after autopsy, and demanded among other things, a CBI probe into the death and compensation for the family.
DMK MP Kanimozhi met the family members at their house at Ethancadu on Wednesday evening and offered her condolences. She said the state government should take responsibility for the death and provide compensation to the family. Later, Sabari Varman’s relatives staged a protest on the Kanniyakumari road highlighting their demands.
Padmanathapuram MLA R Chellaswamy of CPM said relatives of the deceased told him that they are not satisfied with the postmortem report and sought a second postmortem.
PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss condemned the death and also called for a CBI probe.