Chennai Custodial Death: Three Police Personnel Booked For Murder, Says CM Stalin In Assembly

A police sub-inspector, a constable and a member of the Home Guards were suspended and investigation was started initially on the death of the suspect.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin

Source : Twitter

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said three police personnel have been booked for murder of a 25-year-old man, based on the autopsy findings on his body, after he died following police custody. Stalin said this in the Assembly after Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami moved the special call of motion over the incident. The AIADMK members also staged walkout demanding CBI probe in this case.  

According to the autopsy report, there were 13 injuries on the body of the victim Vignesh, Stalin said.

“Based on this, the case has been altered as a case of murder and murder case has been filed against police personnel. The investigation would continue to be done by the CB-CID,” news agency PTI quoted the chief minister as saying.

Notably, on April 18, two men, Vignesh and Suresh were arrested after the former failed to give proper answers to the questions posed by the police and also since ganja and liquor bottles were allegedly found in the autorickshaw they were travelling in.

Both of them were taken to the Secretariat Colony police station and Vignesh died a day after.

Following his death, a police sub-inspector, a constable and a member of the Home Guards were suspended and investigation was started initially on the death of the suspect. The case then went to the CB-CID following an outcry against custodial deaths.

Speaking to PTI reporters outside the Assembly, Palaniswami said that the Chief Minister on April 26 had told the House that Vignesh was provided food on the morning of April 19 by police following which he vomited and experienced seizure.

When he was taken to a state-run hospital, he was declared brought dead, Palaniswami quoted Stalin as saying on that day.

However, the post-mortem report shows multiple injuries, including severe head injury, which is in complete contradiction to what was earlier claimed by the government. So, a CBI probe is warranted to ensure a free and fair trial, the AIADMK leader further said.