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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on June 30, issued a warning that his government would not hesitate to take stringent action in cases of custodial deaths, adding that justice would be delivered “swiftly and impartially” even if the accused is a police officer.
After chairing a high-level law and order review meeting at the Secretariat, Stalin in his social media post said, “Crimes must be prevented. If it happens, whether the person involved is a rowdy, someone with political background, or even a policeman, severe punishment will be ensured.”
“The government will take extremely severe action against those who fail in their duties especially in cases involving drug trafficking, illicit liquor, crimes against women, and custodial deaths,” he added.
Senior officials including Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, Home Secretary Dheeraj Kumar, Director General of Police (Law and Order) Shankar Jiwal, the Inspector Generals (IG) of the four zones, Greater Chennai Police (GCP), Tambaram and Avadi police commissioners were also present.
The Chief Minister's remarks came after the custodial death of Ajith Kumar, a 27-year-old temple security guard in Sivaganga district. He was taken into illegal custody by the Tiruppuvanam police for questioning in connection with a gold and cash theft from a devotee’s car. He later died in custody, leading to public outrage and political condemnation across the spectrum.
Six policemen from the Tiruppuvanam station were suspended following the incident. On Monday night, five of them were arrested and booked for murder following a post-mortem report that revealed external injury marks and grievous internal injuries. The arrested police personnel have been booked under Section 196(2)(a) (custodial death) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Act.
The CM also directed police personnel to treat people who approach stations with dignity and ensure their complaints are addressed in a time-bound manner. “The police have been given autonomy to act, but that power must be used to uphold law and order and ensure justice,” he said.
Officers were told to focus on cases related to caste or religious hatred and rumours that threaten public peace. Stalin further instructed officials to strengthen the network of CCTV cameras across public spaces.
Meanwhile Opposition parties like All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) posed a series of questions to the state government. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami demanded a probe led by a district judge and compensation for the victim’s family.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan, and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI(M)) state secretary P Shanmugam also condemned the death and demanded a government job and compensation for Ajith Kumar’s family.
Ajith Kumar’s death marks the 24th such alleged custodial killing recorded in Tamil Nadu under the DMK regime.