PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday urged the State government to set up a control room in Chennai to monitor CCTV footage across police stations in the State, in the wake of the custodial deaths of trader Jayaraj and his son Benicks in Sattankulam.

In a statement, he said the arrest of the accused police personnel and cases booked against those responsible gives confidence (that the investigation is progressing in the right direction).

Mr. Anbumani said if the full CCTV footage at Sattankulam police station was available in the present case, it would have been easier to nail those responsible and punish them and unnecessary controversy could have been averted. However, he pointed out that the CCTV footage at the station was erased the next day and so the evidence was buried.

Mr. Anbumani also cited the Tamil Nadu Information Commission’s direction that CCTV data in police stations should be preserved and be open for scrutiny. Contrary to the direction, there has been an arrangement where the CCTV footage at the Sattankulam police station is erased the next day, and it raises suspicions, he said.

Mr. Anbumani said by setting up the control room, the State government can ensure police stations are free of crimes and are places where human rights are respected.