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Tamil actor and founder-president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Vijay, met with families of individuals who died in police custody in Tamil Nadu in the last four years. The meeting, which lasted over three hours, was held at the party’s head office in Panaiyur on Saturday, July 12.
TVK has also announced a protest against custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu to be held on July 13.
24 alleged custodial deaths have occurred in the last four years under the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) rule. Invites to TVK’s July 12 meet were extended to families of all 24 victims.
According to reports,18 families attended the closed-door meeting. Vijay reportedly inquired about the reasons that victims were taken into custody, the cause of death, compensation provided by the government, the current status of legal cases, and whether any police personnel had been held accountable. He also handed over Rs 25,000 in financial assistance to each family.
The meeting comes in the wake of security guard Ajith Kumar’s death in police custody in Sivaganga district on June 29. Vijay had previously visited Ajith Kumar’s family on July 2.
During his visit, Vijay paid floral tributes to Ajith Kumar’s portrait, spoke to his family members and offered his condolences. Assuring them of his support, he also handed over Rs 2 lakh in financial assistance to the family.
Ajith Kumar, a resident of Madapuram village in Sivaganga district, died in police custody after allegedly being brutally assaulted. He was arrested in connection with an alleged gold theft case. A video that surfaced online, believed to be of Ajith Kumar, showed him being repeatedly beaten with a stick, leading to public outrage.
Following the July 12 meeting, TVK called a protest on July 13 in Chennai, demanding justice for custodial deaths and a white paper from the state government on these cases. Vijay is also expected to participate in the protest.
The Greater Chennai Police (GCP) has granted permission for the protest with 16 conditions, including a ban on bursting crackers and organising bike rallies.
Around 6,000 people are expected to participate, and approximately 2,000 police personnel will be deployed for security. The protest will also include speeches from the families of custodial death victims.