The Tamil Nadu Railway Police DIG on Thursday suspended five police officials, including an inspector, in connection with the death of a bookseller in police custody in Villupuram on Wednesday.
According to police, Jayavel (35) of Goundanur village in Krishnagiri district had been selling books at the Villupuram junction for the past 15 years.
On Wednesday morning, the Villupuram railway police had taken Jayavel to the station to inquire about a missing mobile phone.
In the afternoon, they took him to the Mundiampakkam Medical College Hospital saying he had fainted during inquiry. However, doctors declared him brought dead on arrival.
Meanwhile, a police source from Villupuram alleged that the death was caused by the brutal attack by the Railway police, adding that the police used to collect bribes from hawkers at the junction. He said that Jayavel used to give bribe every month, but as business was dull he couldn’t pay the bribe last month. The police then threatened to file a theft case against him.
Scared, Jayavel had sent a petition to the Chief Minister’s Cell.
Based on this, the district administration received an intimation from the CM cell to inquire into the issue. When the Railway police got to know about this last week, they took Jayavel to the station, beat him up and released him later.
They took him to the station again on Tuesday night and beat him up. As a result of this Jayavel died, the source alleged.
Villupuram Judicial Magistrate I M Vignesh Prabu has been appointed to inquire into the case.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Railway police DIG Bhaskar issued an order to suspend five police officials — inspector Vasudevan, head constable Balamurugan and constables Logeshkumar, Srinath and Thirukumaran — attached to the Villupuram railway police station, who were on duty when the incident took place.