TIRUNELVELI/TENKASI: Relatives of alleged custodial torture victim M Thangasamy and members of the Joint Action Committee Against Custodial Torture submitted a petition at DIG, Tirunelveli Range, office on Wednesday demanding action against the Puliyangudi police personnel and authorities of Palayamkottai Central Prison, where the victim died on June 14.
In his petition, Thangasamy’s brother M Eswaran demanded an inquiry by a judge into the death. “According to the postmortem report, my brother, who was arrested on June 11 without our knowledge, must have been injured either under the custody of Puliyangudi police or prison authorities. A murder case should be registered against the Puliyangudi police personnel and prison authorities.
The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act sections must also be invoked in the case. Apart from compensating us as per the Act, the government should consider providing a job to one of our family members, taking into account our livelihood requirements,” he added. He also sent the petition to Chief Minister M K Stalin, Chairman of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for the SC and ST, and DGP.
Meanwhile, members of CPM and the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) staged a demonstration in Puliyangudi demanding justice over Thangamani’s death on Thursday. Former MLA S K Mahendran, state coordinator of Joint Action Committee Against Custodial Torture Thiyagu, and People’s Watch Advocate S P Madasamy were present.
Collector, MLAs meet bereaved family
District Collector Durai Ravichandran, Sankarankovil MLA E Raja, and Vasudevanallur MLA Sathan Thirumalaikumar conducted a talk with Thangasamy’s family members to convince them to receive his body from the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital. Sources added the youth’s mother M Karuppi agreed to receive the body on Friday as the district administration has promised to arrange compensation. Police personnel from several police stations have been asked to reach Puliyangudi for ensuring security in the region.