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Tamil Nadu: Relatives stage overnight protest as man dies in judicial custody
Relatives of S Sabari Varman, an undertrial prisoner who died in the sub-jail, staged an overnight protest demanding a second autopsy and an independent probe.
Relatives of S Sabari Varman, an undertrial prisoner who died in the sub-jail, staged an overnight protest demanding a second autopsy and an independent probe, while the opposition parties flayed the Tamil Nadu government over the handling of the issue.
A day after Sabari Varman, 35, a disabled shopkeeper from Ethankadu in Nagercoil, allegedly died in judicial custody on July 13, the police arrested three prison staff, including a chief warden and placed them under suspension after a postmortem report indicated 19 injuries on the victim's body, including his elbows, forearms, knees and legs.
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A case has been registered against eight co-inmates at the prison in connection with the disabled shopkeeper's death, a senior police official said and added the prison staff were arrested based on CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts.
The family members who have refused to accept the body have staged an overnight protest in front of the Government Medical College Hospital at Asaripallam here, demanding a second autopsy and an independent probe.
The incident triggered a backlash from the opposition parties with the DMK MP Kanimozhi faulting the police and government over handling the issue. She visited the affected families and consoled them on Wednesday night.
Taking strong exception to alleged "police brutality in the Nagercoil sub-jail, Kanimozhi said, "Even after three days of this custodial death, there has been no explanation or statement from Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay."
"No minister has visited the victim's family in person. This government has not even come forward to provide relief to the affected family. Overall, as always, the TVK government is just watching the issue without taking responsibility," she later said in a post on 'X'.
The co-inmates had assaulted Sabari Varman in his cell at around 12 midnight on July 13 for making loud noise, and thereafter the prison staff intervened and allegedly beat up the victim, the official said.
Terming it as "a horrific incident", BJP State Chief Nainar Nagenthran claimed that the custodial deaths that occurred during the DMK regime appeared to continue. Speaking to reporters, he said the chief minister should take immediate steps to restore law and order in the state.
CPI(M) legislator R Chellaswamy said the victim's relatives told him that they were not satisfied with the postmortem report and sought a second autopsy.
PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss demanded a probe by the CBI.
According to police, Varman was arrested by the Thenthamaraikulam police allegedly for selling banned gutka on July 9. About 200 grams of banned tobacco products were confiscated from Sabari Varman's shop, police said.
