CHENNAI: At least 120 AIADMK members staged a road roko in Tiruttani on Wednesday after a 35-year-old man, who immolated himself after his father was booked over a video on quality of Pongal gift hamper, died of burn injuries at the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital.
The protesters said Kuppusamy took the extreme step after police slapped a case against his father, M Nandhan, 64, a district functionary of the AIADMK, for sharing clips that allegedly showed a lizard in a tamarind pack supplied in a ration shop. While an FIR was registered against Nandhan on Friday (January 7), his son N Kuppusamy set himself on fire on Tuesday afternoon.
“The reason for his suicide is not known. We have registered a case and a probe is on,” said a senior police officer. According to police, M Nandhan received the Pongal package from a ration shop in Thirukulam on January 4. On January 7, he allegedly found a dead lizard inside the package and confronted the PDS shop staff.
“Nadhan created a ruckus and shared the image of the lizard on social media. He also sent the images to a TV channel,” said T Saravanan, a ration shop worker, in his complaint filed at the Tiruttani police station.
The Tiruttani police registered a case under section 341 of IPC (wrongful restraint) and section 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity) and detained Nadhan for inquiry on Saturday.
Though AIADMK leader and former Chief Minster Edappadi K Palaniswami accused police of booking Nandhan under non-bailable sections, police denied it and said sections IPC 341 and 505(2) are bailable.
(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on Tamil Nadu’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050).