AIADMK leader Edappadi slams DMK over alleged custodial death in Madurai

The Opposition leader claimed that barring a few officers, the rest of them in the police department were taking the law into their own hands, and in the past two years under the Stalin-led DMK government, around 20 people have died in police stations under suspicious circumstances.

“The family of the deceased hold the police officers responsible for all these deaths, however, the police department claims innocence and keeps saying that people died because of Ill health, heart attack,” Edappadi said.

Listing down some of the cases wherein the police said that the accused died due to ill health, Edappadi said on the night of July 15, police personnel had summoned S Vedan (30) of Seelnayakanpatti to M Kallupatti police station for inquiry and released him the next day. After returning home, Vedan died under mysterious circumstances.

“The family says Vedan died due to police brutality, however, the police department cites a post-mortem report claiming that he died due to cardiac issues. Further, the police have forced Vedan’s family to receive the body despite their resistance. This has raised huge suspicion on his death,” Edappadi said.

Claiming that they no longer can allow a few police officers who abuse their power and position to threaten the innocent, the AIADMK leader noted that the police till now has not explained the reason behind keeping Vedan in the station till the next day.

“The DMK government should take responsibility for the suspicious lock-up death of Vedan. A proper investigation should be made and legal action should be initiated against whoever is responsible. The government should also provide due compensation for Vedan’s family,” Edappadi said.

However, It is to be noted that in a detailed statement, the Madurai SP R Shiva Prasad had ruled out any foul play in the incident.

The senior police officer said that on July 16, when two police officers of M Kallupatti police station were on night rounds, they found Vedan walking in a suspicious manner at odd hours and brought him to the station for inquiry. The SP added that police officers noted Vedan’s basic details and recorded his fingerprints and registered a case under section 41 of CrPC before sending him home.

“The whole sequence of events is clearly recorded in the two CCTV cameras located in the station hall. The accused was kept in the station hall the whole time and there was no physical exchange between the deceased and the police personnel in the station,” a statement by the Madurai SP read.

The statement further added that after reaching home, Vedan went to sleep and was found dead by his family members in the morning. The officer said that based on Vedan’s wife Pandiselvi allegation that her husband died due to police torture, a case was registered at Elumalai police station for unnatural death under section 174 of CrPC.

“The doctors who conducted the post-mortem ruled out any foul play and gave a preliminary opinion that death is due to cardiac issues and no external injuries are found,” the SP said adding that the entire process of the post-mortem was videographed as well.

The officer added that after being convinced by the immediate response of the police and the doctor’s postmortem report, the family agreed to receive the body, and last rites were also performed.

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