Chennai, June 30 (UNI) As the father-son duo custodial deaths allegedly due to police brutality in Sathankulam created a political furore and sent shock waves across the country, the Tamil Nadu Government today shunted out incumbent Superintendent of Police (SP) and posted a new SP for Tuticorin district.
An official release here said Villupuram District SP
S Jeyakumar was transferred and posted as Tuticorin
District SP in place of Arun Balagopalan, who was
brought to the compulsory wait at the office of the
Director General of Police.
The release said the government also transferred and
posted EOW IG Dr S Murugan as the new South Zone
IG in place of Mr K P Shanmuga Rajeswaran, who is
retiring on superannuation today.
The shifting of Tuticorin SP comes in the backdrop of
the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court initiating suo
motu contempt proceedings after a constable in the
Sathankulam station made disparaging remarks against
the Judicial Magistrate, probing the custodial deaths
of Jayaraj and his son Benicks.
After Mr Arun Balagopalan ordered en masse transfer of
all the police personnel in Sathankulam station last
evening, Additional SP D Kumar, DSP C Prathapan and
constable Maharajan were placed under suspension today,
after Judges P N Prakash and B Pugalendhi, during the
contempt proceedings observed that unless the State
government intervene immediately and transfer the trio
it would be very difficult for a free and fair probe into the
deaths.
When the three appeared before the court today in
compliance with the summons, the Judges said based
on the post mortem report, which revealed several
wounds on the bodies of the deceased, and on the
report of the Judicial Magistrate, there was prima
facie ground for registering cases against the police
personnel involved in the brutality.
After the State government transferred the probe to
the CBI last night, the Court ordered a CB-CID probe
into the custodial deaths with immediate effect till the
CBI takes over the investigation as there was a possibility
of destroying the evidence.
As per the court order, the Revenue department officials
took control of the Sathankulam police station this morning
to collect the relevant materials in connection with the case.
UNI GV 1300