CUDDALORE: A day after political parties raised the spectre of another Sathankulam-like ‘murder’ in the death of M Selvamurugan, 39, of Kadampuliyur village in Cuddalore district, on November 4, Vriddhachalam judicial magistrate K Anand on Saturday visited Vriddhachalam sub-jail and made inquiries with jail staff and inmates.
According to police, Selvamurugan was taken to Neyveli Township police station on October 30 for inquiry over his alleged involvement in a chain snatching case. He was remanded in judicial custody on the same day. According to the victim’s nephew, however, police picked him up on October 28.
Victim arrested later to cover up assault, illegal detention: Kin
“Police claim the arrest was made on October 30 only to hide their illegal detention and brutal assault on October 28 and 29 that led to his death,” victim’s nephew said.
Family members of the deceased, who refused to collect his body after postmortem from Mundiyampakkam medical college hospital, said the police confined Selvamurugan to a lodge and a cashew nut grove and brutally attacked him to make him admit to crimes he never committed. They alleged that though police promised to permit one of their relatives to stay during the postmortem, they went back on their word and postmortem was done without their knowledge.
“My aunt (Selvamurugan’s wife Prema) saw visible wounds on his chin, mouth, legs and buttocks when she visited him at the Vridhachalam GH on November 2. She said my uncle could barely speak because of the injuries. He was discharged after treatment and sent to the sub-jail,” Selvamurugan’s nephew said.
Refuting the allegations, superintendent of police Bhukya Sneha Priya said: “The accused, an epileptic patient, developed fits at 2.30pm on November 2 at the sub-jail. He was taken to Vridhachalam government hospital for treatment. He was on anti-epileptic drugs and injection. The duty doctor referred him to another hospital for advanced treatment and care. However, his relatives were not willing to shift him to another hospital following which he was taken back to the sub-jail. He suffered a cardio-respiratory attack at10.30pm on November 4 at the sub-jail. He was taken to Vridhachalam GH again but could not be revived, and he was declared dead at 10.45pm on November 4.”
DMK chief M K Stalin on Saturday demanded a thorough probe. The AIADMK government must not tarnish the image of TN police by attempting to cover up custodial deaths, he said.