Vijay assures impartial probe into custodial deaths

Chennai, Sept 7:
Chief Minister Vijay on Monday assured the Tamil Nadu Assembly that every custodial death would be subjected to a transparent, impartial and legally mandated inquiry, stressing that such incidents were not merely individual tragedies but serious issues that could undermine public confidence in the police force.

Replying to the debate on the police department’s demands, Vijay said the issue of custodial deaths had been raised by several legislators and underlined the seriousness of deaths occurring in police custody.

“A death in police custody is not an ordinary incident. It is not merely the loss of a life or a family’s loss; it is a very important issue that affects public trust in the police department,” Vijay said.

He said he had instructed the authorities to ensure that whenever a death occurred in custody, its circumstances were investigated transparently, impartially and in accordance with the law.

Vijay said the government was also following the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in custodial death cases. Information regarding such deaths was being submitted within the stipulated time, while post-mortem procedures and magisterial inquiries were also being carried out as required, he said.

The Chief Minister made it clear that police personnel would not receive any protection if they were found to have committed wrongdoing.

“If a police officer has committed a mistake, no protection will be provided to him. Whoever has committed the mistake, the law will perform its duty properly,” Vijay said.

He said his government was also taking preventive measures to eliminate custodial deaths, including closer monitoring of police stations, improved training for personnel, medical examinations and greater use of technology for surveillance.

Vijay’s assurance came during a wider discussion on policing and law and order in the Assembly, where the Chief Minister sought to underline his government’s commitment to ensuring that the police functioned without political interference and that action was taken against wrongdoing irrespective of who was involved.

The Chief Minister also maintained that public safety and confidence in the police were central to the functioning of the government, saying that accountability within the police force was essential to maintaining that trust.