Six Police Personnel Suspended Over Custodial Death in Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga
In a significant development, six police personnel have been suspended in connection with the custodial death of Akash in Manamadurai, Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu. The action was ordered by Deputy Inspector General of Police, Ramanathapuram range, N Manivannan, on Friday.
Details of the Suspended Personnel
The suspended officers include:
- Inspector of Police, Thiruppuvanam police station, Dileepan
- Sub-Inspector, Manamadurai police station, Gugan
- Head Constable Deivendran, attached to Sivaganga Town police station
- Head Constable Sarathkumar, attached to Sipcot police station
- Constable Kaliswaran, attached to Manamadurai police station
- Constable Manoharan, attached to Thiruppuvanam police station
This suspension comes amid ongoing legal proceedings and public outcry over the incident.
Madras High Court Proceedings
Meanwhile, the Madras High Court on Friday reserved orders on a plea moved by A Rajeshkannan, the father of deceased Akash. The plea seeks a direction to register a criminal case for murder arising out of alleged custodial torture.
On Thursday, the court was informed that the case had been altered to include Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
State Government's Submission
During the hearing on Friday, the state government submitted that it had provided compensation of 6 lakh rupees to the family of the deceased youth, as mandated by the SC/ST Act. The state further informed the court that, pursuant to the court's order, protesters had dispersed from the spot on Thursday evening.
Petitioner's Arguments
Counsel for the petitioner, Henri Tiphagne, raised several critical points during the proceedings. He submitted that there were discrepancies in the postmortem report of Akash and suggested that the report could be referred to experts for their opinion. Additionally, Tiphagne emphasized the need for upgrading forensic departments to ensure more accurate and reliable investigations in such cases.
Court's Decision
Taking into account all submissions from both sides, Justice L Victoria Gowri reserved orders in the case. The court's decision is awaited, which will determine the next steps in the legal process concerning this custodial death.
This incident has sparked widespread concern over police conduct and custodial safety in Tamil Nadu, highlighting the urgent need for systemic reforms and accountability in law enforcement agencies.
