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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has said that the complaint raised against the custodial death victim, Ajith Kumar, was false. It also confirmed that Ajith Kumar’s death was clearly a case of police custodial death, and that all ten police officials charged were directly involved.
Ajith Kumar (27), a temple guard from Sivaganga, died on June 28 due to police brutality. He had been detained by the police on June 27 based on a complaint alleging missing jewellery filed by a woman named Nikkitha. The autopsy revealed 44 injuries on Ajith’s body, indicating severe police violence.
Video evidence was later released showing the brutal treatment of the victim by police officials in the name of enquiry. Following this, the Madras High Court ordered a CBI investigation, confirming the case as one of custodial death.
The CBI subsequently charged six officials, constables Prabhu, Kannan, Sankara Manikandan, Raja and Anand, along with police driver Ramachandran, all part of the special investigation team. The Deputy Superintendent of Police (Manamadurai) was suspended, while Sivaganga Superintendent of Police Ashish Rawat was transferred and placed on compulsory wait.
Later, the CBI added the names of the then Manamadurai DSP N Shanmugasundaram, the then Thiruppuvanam Inspector Ramesh Kumar, the then Sub-Inspector Sivakumar, and the then Head Constable Ilayaraja to the charge sheet.
The CBI made the statements during the hearing of bail applications filed by four of the imprisoned special police officers. Ajith Kumar’s mother filed an intervention petition opposing their release. The matter came up before Judge Srimathi, where the CBI informed the court that its investigation had revealed that Nikitha’s complaint of jewellery theft was false.
The judge observed that a person had been killed over a baseless complaint and denied bail to the accused who had applied for it.