Tamil Nadu: DSP investigating Dalit murder case commits suicide, parents demand CBI probe

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Vishnupriya, a Dalit officer hails from Kondur village in Cuddalore district, had been probing the sensational murder case of a Dalit youth Gokulraj, in which the main accused, Yuvaraj of Dheeran Chinnamalai Peravai, a community-outfit, is still absconding.

Civil rights activists, have been accusing the role of police in protecting Yuvaraj despite knowing his hideout in Karnataka. In June 2015, Yuvaraj was accused of abducting and murdering Gokulraj for talking to a girl belonging to the Gounder community.

DSP K Maheswari, a long time friend of Vishnupriya said she called her at 2.48 pm on Friday, before the suicide. “She called me and said that she was being pressurised to implicate innocent people in Gokulraj’s murder case. ‘How can I remand an innocent person?’ she asked me. Immediately she cut the call saying ‘My SP is coming on line’. I sent her a message saying ‘Dont worry da’,” DSP Maheswari told The Indian Express.

Maheswari recalled Vishnupriya telling her about a call she received from accused Yuvaraj about 20 days ago in her cellphone. He told her that he was calling from Kannur in Kerala and that he would have surrendered long back had they probed the case properly. He told her that probing angle is not in her control and decided by her senior officers although she is the investigation officer. Vishnupriya had recorded that call and sent it to SP via WhatsApp.

Another colleague of Vishnupriya said she was upset for being forced to implicate innocent people including some relatives of Yuvaraj in the case.

“She was upset with the way a Superintendant of Police interefered in the case and led the probe in wrong direction while the main accused remain absconding. Meantime an ADGP warned her that she will face punishment if she is not completing the probe. In fact there is nothing unusual in such a warning in high profile murder case. But she was caught up in the pressure from higher ups while her probe was also being misguided. She was under immense pressure and she shared it with many colleagues too,” said the officer.

In the wake of reports questioning the role of superior officers in her suicide, Dalit political party VCK demanded a CBI probe.

K Shankar, inspector general of police (west zone) said the suicide has nothing to do with Gokulraj murder case.

“Her suicide note clearly says that. People arrested under Goonda Act in this case were all those who were identified from a CCTV footage evidence. She need not to take a decision on the Goonda Act as the district collector is the authority based on necessary evidences. So she was just an authority to implement it,” IG Shankar said.

He said the police has been tracking Yuvaraj and failed to catch him because he often change his hide out. “Reports that Vishnupriya receiving a call from Yuvaraj and sending that recorded conversation to SP is part of the investigation. She herself asked Yuvaraj to come and surrender before the law when he called her,” he said ruling out reports that she was under pressure from her superior officers.