MADURAI/SIVAGANGA: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Thursday took suo motu cognisance of the Sivaganga custodial death case based on media reports. A press release stated that inspector general of police/director of investigation wing would conduct an inquiry and submit report within six weeks.
Meanwhile, M Saktheeswaran of Madapuram, who had recorded the video of police personnel beating Ajithkumar, wrote to Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal stating he was receiving life threats and sought protection under the witness protection scheme as per directions of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. The deputy Inspector General of Police (Ramanathapuram range) P Moorthy ordered armed protection for the witness.
Further, Ajithkumar’s relative Manojbabu alleged police may have administered ganja to him amid the assault. Speaking to media, Babu said police allowed him to interact with Ajithkumar briefly and he reeked of ganja. He added that Ajithkumar never used ganja.
“Ajithkumar was given water mixed with chili powder. Unable to bear it, he asked for water but police refused. I alerted police that he had fallen unconscious. I knew Ajithkumar was dead when he was taken in an auto to hospital,” he claimed.
On the second day of inquiry, the IV Additional District Judge of Madurai, S John Sundarlal Suresh, continued questioning witnesses, Ajithkumar’s brother Naveenkumar and mother Malathy. Similar to the first day’s inquest, Thursday’s questioning lasted for more than 10 hours.
Speaking to media, K C Thirumaran, president of South Indian Forward Bloc, said he had married Nikita in 2004 but the relationship did not last beyond a day. He also alleged Nikita had married three others and threatened them with dowry harassment.
Four FIRs on Nikita and kin
According to police sources, the family of J Nikita (42) of Thirumangalam, who accused Ajithkumar of stealing jewellery from her car, has several cheating cases against her. Police sources on Wednesday said an FIR was booked against Nikita based on a complaint of Rajangam of Thirumangalam in 2011.
On Thursday, details of three more cases emerged, of which two of the FIRs (in which Nikita was not named as accused) have been booked against her family — Nikita’s parents Jeyaperumal and Sivakami, brother Kaviyarasu and one Bagathsingh — based on complaints lodged by P Murugesan of Alampatti and Muthukodi of Alampatti in Thirumangalam taluk police station in April 2011 for cheating them of `2.5 lakh each under the pretext of getting them government jobs. Her father is a retired sub-collector and her mother is a retired government employee.
New video
In a video that has been widely circulated since Wednesday night, Nikita said she had willingly given the car key to Ajithkumar to park the vehicle and bring it back because she trusted him as he was in uniform. When she returned after half an hour, her mother told her that he had returned the key only moments ago. “I had told my mother (Sivakami) to keep the nine-sovereign gold jewellery with her when we gave the car to Ajithkumar for parking,” she added.
Nagenthran alleges DMK’s involvement in custodial death
Chennai: BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran on Wednesday questioned whether the alleged political connections between J Nikita, the woman who filed a theft complaint against custodial death victim B Ajithkumar, and senior DMK leaders were the reason behind the incident. According to him, Nikita has a cheating case against her pending from 2011, in which she allegedly collected money from individuals, promising government jobs by claiming links with an assistant of the then Deputy CM Stalin.
