The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has condemned the alleged custodial death of a 26-year-old Scheduled Caste youth in Sivaganga district and demanded strict action against the police personnel involved.
CPM state secretary P. Shanmugam said the death of Akash, a resident of Krishnarajapuram in Manamadurai, appeared to be a “brutal lock-up killing”. He alleged that the youth had been subjected to severe torture while in police custody.
Shanmugam demanded that a murder case be registered against the police personnel involved and that they be immediately arrested. The party also urged the government to provide relief to Akash’s family under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, including a government job for one of the family members.
According to the CPM statement, Akash and four others had a quarrel with two men, Jayakumar and Alagar, in Krishnarajapuram on March 5. Later that night, the five youths allegedly attacked the two men with sharp weapons near Zion Nagar in Manamadurai. The injured men were admitted to the Government Hospital in Manamadurai.
Police arrested Akash and the four others on March 6 but allegedly did not inform the family about where they were being held. On the night of March 7, police informed Akash’s parents that he had been admitted to Government Rajaji Hospital.
When the family reached the hospital, they reportedly found that Akash’s leg was fractured. According to them, Akash said the injury was caused after police dropped a large stone on his leg during custody.
Police later informed the family on the morning of March 8 that Akash had died. The four others arrested in connection with the case have been lodged in Ramanathapuram prison.