Decode Politics: Who is Auditor Ramesh, the man over whom PM Modi shed tears in TN

The two-time TN general secretary’s murder in 2013, by alleged Islamists, had triggered massive protests by BJP, with Modi, then Gujarat CM, reportedly reaching out to family

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PTI Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday broke down while addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu, as he recalled V Ramesh, often referred to as ‘Auditor’ Ramesh, a BJP leader whose killing in 2013 hit headlines.

Modi paused his speech for about a minute as he referred to Ramesh. “Today I am in Salem, I remember Auditor Ramesh… Aaj Salem ka mera vo Ramesh nahin hai (Today, my Ramesh of Salem is not here). Ramesh worked day and night for the party. He was a dedicated leader of our party. He was a great orator and a very hardworking man. I pay homage to him,” he went on to say.

Who was Auditor Ramesh?

A significant figure in the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit and a known hardline proponent of Hindutva, Ramesh had twice served as the state general secretary of the party.

Then 54, Ramesh was murdered on the night of July 19, 2013, at his house in the Maravaneri area of Salem soon after he had returned after meeting party workers.

His assailants, who were lying in wait near his house, attacked him with sharp-edged weapons, causing fatal injuries to his head and neck.

Who were the suspects?

Following a probe, Bilal Malik and ‘Police’ Fakruddin, who were believed to be involved in the 2011 Madurai pipe bomb case and other attacks on right-wing Hindu leaders, were arrested in October 2013.

Fakruddin was arrested by the Crime Branch branch CID while Malik and another suspect were taken into custody from Puttur in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh following an almost 12-hour gunfight.

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The case was taken over by the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Tamil Nadu Police.

What was the aftermath of his murder?

There was massive outrage among BJP workers and Hindutva groups in the state, with protests held accusing the police of negligence. Protesters also alleged failure of state intelligence as Ramesh had received death threats and his car was torched prior to his death.

In the aftermath of Ramesh’s murder, 42-year-old BJP state executive member B Rajeshwari reportedly torched herself as a sign of protest, while the party also linked the death of K Murugamani, a district executive member, of cardiac arrest to the killing.

What was the case’s political impact?

As the case attracted national attention, the BJP raised the pitch for a thorough investigation. It also used the case to highlight its claims of a hostile environment faced by its workers in Tamil Nadu.

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There had been attacks on several Hindutva leaders in the state at the time, including on Rajagopalan, the state president of the Hindu Munnani, an RSS affiliate, in 1994. Then state BJP president Pon Radhakrishnan had accused the J Jayalalithaa government of turning a blind eye to the killing of Hindutva leaders.

As per BJP leaders, Modi, then the Gujarat CM and seen to be harbouring national ambitions, had personally called up Ramesh’s family to express his condolences. Later, at a rally the same year, in Tiruchi, where he shared the stage with then CM and late AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa, Modi expressed dissatisfaction at the “sluggish pace” of investigation in the Ramesh murder case.

What is the status of the case?

Following numerous adjournments and delays, the Madras High Court in February 2023, while recognising the protracted nature of the trial, ordered the special court to expeditiously complete proceedings.

The accused are currently lodged in prison in connection with several other cases of organised crime and radical Islam.