'Police harassment forced him to immolate himself near Madurai Kamaraj University College', allege kin
MADURAI: Family of the man who set himself ablaze in front of Ambedkar statue near Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) College on Tuesday alleged he attempted suicide due to police harassment. The man, undergoing treatment at Government Rajaji Hospital, with 70 per cent burn injuries is identified as M Easwaran (34), a construction labourer, residing at Indhra Nagar in BB Kulam.
In a Whatsapp video, Easwaran said when he was chatting with his friends at a tea shop near his house on Tuesday, four policemen stopped and asked him whether he was selling liquor. "I have no idea why they questioned me. They checked my bike and followed me to my house. They entered my house and started searching. They started beating me. They also brought four quarter bottles of alcohol and kept it in my house and told me I was selling liquor," he said in the video, adding the police also threatened him of foisting false cases against him.
M Sivagami, the elder sister of Easwaran said none of her family were there at home when it happened. "The police seized my mother's phone and my brother's bike. They made her wait at the police station. Around 10 pm, they handed over the properties and made her sign an blank form and asked her to leave. We received a call from GRH around 1.30 am saying my brother set himself ablaze," she alleged.
Meanwhile, Madurai Police Commissioner Prem Anand Sinha denied the allegations and said the policemen were on lookout for two persons selling liquor and arrested one. "Easwaran and his associate were selling liquor and it was seized from his house during search. Easwaran was neither arrested nor taken to the station, as he was not well. DSP-level official has been appointed to inquire into the case," he added.