CHENNAI: Stoutly denying allegations levelled by DMK president MK Stalin in the Sathakulam custodial death case, Minister for Milk and Dairy Development KT Rajenthra Bhalaji on Friday said that DMK was unleashing a malicious propaganda against the government, to tarnish its image.
The minister, in a statement, said CM Edappadi K Palaniswami had not made any contradictory statements on the issue and the police did not delay in taking action. The CM granted Rs 10 lakh each as solatium for Beniks and Jeyaraj and promised government employment for one member of the family. Besides, he also clarified maximum punishment would be awarded to the perpetrators of this heinous crime and that this case would be transferred to CBI.
“As such, when did the government err? When was justice denied to the affected? Stalin should clarify these points,” he added. He said the CM in his first statement after the deaths, had conveyed information available at that time and said legal action would be taken in accordance with orders to be passed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras HC.
Pointing out that in any crime, all information is not known immediately, the minister said, “The accused and the nature of the case are confirmed after a preliminary investigation, gathering of witnesses, garnering circumstantial shreds of evidence, getting postmortem report, etc.” Particularly, in lock-up deaths and deaths during investigation, initially, they would be registered as suspicious deaths and later depending on evidence, it would be confirmed as to whether it was a murder or suicide or natural death. This is the Criminal Procedure Code. This process was followed in the Sathankulam case too.