Chennai: The CB-CID police slapped murder charges against six police personnel in connection with the custodial death of Vignesh at Secretariat Colony police station. Vignesh was first arrested under charges of possessing ganja but he died the next day (April 19) at a Government Hospital in Kilpauk.
According to a report in Times of India, the CB-CID submitted a 1,000-page chargesheet in the principal sessions court. It included statements from 127 witnesses and 290 documents.
The accused six police personnel include special sub-inspector Kumar, head constable Munab, home guard Deepak, constable Paunraj and armed reserved constables Jagajeevanram and Chandrakumar.
All the accused were charged under various sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and Section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
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In April 2022, Stalin told the Assembly two members were found with liquor and ganja near Kilpauk. Both of them were history sheeters with Suresh having 11 criminal cases pending against him and Vignesh having 2 cases pending against him.
When the police told them to come to the station, they refused and Vignesh also tried to attack the police with a dagger. Later, he was arrested. On April 19, Vignesh was given breakfast but he developed epilepsy and was declared brought dead at Kilpauk Medical College hospital, Stalin said.
Stalin also said that a case has been registered under the section of suspicious death. He also informed that Sub Inspector Pugazhum Perumal, constable Ponraj and home guard Deepak had been placed under suspension.
He also said that the case was transferred to CB-CID for the probe.
TN CM also announced Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family of the victim.
In May 2022, Vignesh's autopsy revealed that he suffered contusions in several body parts, including his head, above the eyes, cheek and arms before the time of his death.