THOOTHUKUDI: Even before the shock over custodial deaths of two Sathankulam traders has calm down, an AIADMK functionary and Thattarmadam police inspector have been accused of killing a 28-year-old lorry driver on Thursday.
The murder happened a day after the brothers of the deceased filed an affidavit regarding custodial torture meted out to them by Thattarmadam inspector Harikrishnan at Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.
The deceased T Selvan of Chokkankudiyiruppu was a tanker lorry driver who supplies potable water to residents.
According to mother of the victim, T Elisabeth, the AIADMK commerce wing secretary Thirumanavel had attempted to grab their agriculture land and the Thattarmadam police had taken sides with the politician. The inspector Harikrishnan had lodged FIR against Selvan and his brothers Bangaru Rajan alias Rajan and Peter Raja in a bid to frame them as criminals and imprison them under Goondas Act, she said.
The complaint given by Elisabeth said that the inspector refused to receive a complaint against Thirumanavel on damaging her property using a country made bomb recently but instead seized a lorry owned by her son Peter Raja.
The complaint also stated that Thirumanavel and his henchmen attacked Bangaru Rajan on January 19, 2020. When Rajan was under treatment at Palayamkottai government hospital, the inspector escorted him to Thattarmadam station and hung Rajan upside down, beat him and imprisoned him on a false complaint.
In connection to the custodial torture, Rajan had lodged a complaint with state human rights commission against inspector Harikrishnan and Thirumanavel.
In order to retaliate the brothers, the inspector had filed two FIR against them on a false complaint.
When the three brothers approached Madurai Bench of Madras High Court for advance bail, the justice sought to submit an affidavit on the tortures commited by the inspector. The affidavit was filed on September 16. The case came for hearing on September 17 and the details of the affidavit was intimated to the district police for further action.
On the same day, Thirumanavel with the instigation of the inspector, abducted Selvan who was standing at Kolunthattu diversion, in his car, beat him black and blue at a secluded place before abandoning him at the outskirts of Kadakulam village. The onlookers had shifted injured Selvan to Thisayanvilai primary health center, where the doctors declared him brought dead.
Meanwhile, a CCTV footage at Kolunthattu shows an Innova car hitting a stationed vehicle and abducting a person. Thirumanavel was appointed as Thoothukudi south district secretary of AIADMK'S commerce wing a month ago.
Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar inspected the crime scene and held preliminary investigations.
SP S Jeyakumar told TNIE that Thisayanvilai police had registered a case against the politician Thirumanavel under section 364, 302 of IPC. The inspector name has been given in statement as instigator, and inquiry is going on, he added.
The deceased Selvan got married last year and gave birth to a daughter a month ago.