Torching of bus — Jaya demands CBI probe

Chennai, Feb 5: AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha today submitted a memorandum to Governor M Fathima Beevi demanding a CBI inquiry in...

Chennai, Feb 5: AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha today submitted a memorandum to Governor M Fathima Beevi demanding a CBI inquiry into the torching of a bus in Dharmapuri in which three university students were killed.

In the memorandum, Jayalalitha said since a mere CB-CID inquiry by the state government into the gory incident would not be suffice or meet the ends of justice, the Governor should urge the Chief Minister to request the Centre for a CBI probe. Since the matter concerned law and order, a State subject, the Centre could order a CBI inquiry only if there was a request from the state government, she added.

The memorandum alleged that the DMK Government was making a herculean effort to dilate on the incident and trying its best to utilise the tragedy to establish some sort of nexus between the incendiary attack on the bus and the AIADMK.

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She said in the highly charged political atmosphere in the State, with the DMK deliberately trying to besmirch the name of AIADMK, it was necessary thatthe whole truth came out to assuage the feelings of the people. Otherwise, it would only vitiate the political atmosphere before the by-elections in the state.

She charged that the State authorities including the Chief Minister and his Ministerial colleagues and the police were currently engaged vigorously in a campaign of vilification against her party. There seemed to be a deliberately orchestrated campaign against the AIADMK with the gross purpose of politically isolating the party, she added.

She pointed out that this was a dangerous trend-setter for the country’s democratic process and in the context of the fact that by-elections to the State Assembly are to take place this month. The DMK knew only too well that its prospects of victory were dim indeed as a strong front of opposition parties had been forged. Sensing this, the DMK had let loose a campaign of vilification, she said.

She said it was also reliably learnt that soon after the attack on the bus, the agitated student community hadencircled the Dharmapuri District Collector on his visit to the site demanding that the perpetrators of the heinous crime be apprehended. But, she added that instead of looking into the demands of the students, the Collector let loose the police on them. The police, apart from bursting tear-gas shells, resorted to a lathicharge to and fired buck shots in the air to disperse them, she charged.