Nearly three weeks after the death of Akash Delison, a young man from Manamadurai of Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga district, his parents have continued to refuse to receive his body, insisting that the police personnel they hold responsible must first be arrested.
Akash’s father, Rajesh Kannan, has alleged that officials attempted to persuade the family to accept the body. Akash’s mother, Anandhi, has also described the distress she faced while trying to see her son at the Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital.
According to the family, a police officer met them with cash assistance, which they say they refused, reiterating that their only demand is the arrest of the personnel linked to the incident.
They also stated that repeated visits by Minister Periyakaruppan and MLA Tamilarasi Ravikumar were aimed at convincing them to receive the body despite their unresolved demands for accountability.
In this TNM's ground report, Shabbir Ahmed speaks to parents to examine why steps have not yet been taken in Akash’s custodial death case, raising concerns about possible caste-based disparities in institutional response.