Kallakurichi SP P Pakalavan and other cops at the school | Special arrangement
Kallakurichi SP P Pakalavan and other cops at the school | Special arrangement

Kallakurichi issue prods police reforms

On July 13, a 17-year-old girl died at a private residential school. The child’s family alleged foul play and refused to accept the body without a proper investigation.

Tamil Nadu witnessed a shocking spurt of violence in the Kallakurichi district on July 17. The police was caught unprepared for the enormity of the protest and the district administration was unable to resolve an emotive issue that had been simmering for days.

On July 13, a 17-year-old girl died at a private residential school. The child’s family alleged foul play and refused to accept the body without a proper investigation. The local police, by all accounts, seemed ready to deem the death a suicide. On July 16, when the autopsy report came out, the protest grew larger, with calls for agitation the following day flying around on social media. Unauthenticated wild rumours had been circulating on social media, along with an emotional video of the child’s mother demanding justice for the girl’s death.

On July 17, police personnel were deployed near the school, but within hours of the protest, they found themselves vastly outnumbered. A section of protesters turned violent, entering the school, setting tens of vehicles on fire, ransacking the school buildings, and resorting to arson. Police vehicles were also torched, and senior cops were among those who sustained injuries.

The violence dissipated only after reinforcements reached the police from other districts. The state government has since transferred the collector, superintendent of police and inspector general (intelligence) and put a CB-CID team on probing the death. An SIT is also investigating the violence.
Police eventually ended the violence without any loss of life; memories of the Thoothukudi police firing that killed 13 in 2018 are fresh in people’s minds.

However, the question arises if the situation would have deteriorated had the police accepted the family’s request for a detailed investigation immediately after the death. Similarly, police failed to thwart people’s mass mobilisation before July 17. The state government must assess the functioning of the police department and enact much-needed reforms.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com