CHENNAI: Environmental activist , who is said to be missing from February 15, did not board the train at Egmore station, say police sources. 

According to a highly placed official with the Government Railway Police, examination of the CCTV footage retrieved from the station premises established that Mugilan left the station platform at around 10.20 pm. “He was seen entering the station along with his friend (activist Ponnarasan). After his friend boarded the Mangaluru Express, Mugilan left the station. The statement of his friend fully matched the footage,” said the officer.

With this development, the ‘missing’ case registered by Egmore railway police on February 17, has been transferred to Chennai city police as the incident did not take place in the station premises. 

Activist Mugilan had been taking part in protests against the Kudankulam nuclear plant, GAIL project, sand mining and Sterlite copper plant for several years. On February 15, in a press meet, he released an incriminating video evidence accusing the top police officers’ involvement in orchestrating the police firing against anti-Sterlite protesters in Thoothukudi on May 22, 2018 in which 13 persons were killed.

The same day, Mugilan, who came to Egmore station along with his friend, to travel to Madurai, did not reach home and his cell phone was switched off from 1.30 am, said activists.