RAMANATHAPURAM: The Director General of Police (DGP) has transferred the case of a police encounter, in which 42-year-old dalit man was killed, to Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) in the district.
Despite the move, the family and relatives of the deceased were not ready to receive his body and have planned to move the court seeking a CBI probe. More than 400 people from various political outfits and Govindan’s relatives staged a day-long protest in front of the Ramanathapuram Collectorate.
B Govindan of T Puthukudi Colony near Thondi was gunned down by Sub Inspector J Thangamuniyasamy, who was part of a special team formed to crack a robbery case, at Mela Arumbayur in the same region. The incident happened in the late hours on Thursday and Thondi Police have registered a case.
As the situation remained volatile, Collector S Natarajan and Deputy Inspector of Police (Ramanathapuram range) Kapil Kumar Saratkar invited representatives of the protesters in the evening and informed them that the case file was transferred to CB-CID, as recommended by the district police.
“It was good the case was transferred. But we wanted Thangamuniyasamy be booked under SC/ST Act. The case should be investigated by the CBI. Until then, Govindan’s family members have decided not to receive the body,” said G Kumar, District President of Devendra Kula Vellalar Kootaimaippu.
According to residents of Mela Arumbayur where the shootout happened, Govindan was driving his car, chased by a car of Thangamuniyasamy and head constable Soundarapandiyan. To escape from police, Govindan barged into the premises of a church.
Govindan allegedly attacked the cops with sickle, following which Thangamuniyasamy fired one round from a close range. The bullet hit Govindan’s chest.