Key witness in custodial death case gets police protection

Chennai: A key eyewitness to the custodial torture and subsequent death of a 27-year-old man, on Thursday got police protection after he knocked at the doors of the Tamil Nadu Police seeking “armed policemen” to protect him and his family.

The witness said that he had filmed a video of the police brutality which forms crucial evidence in the case.

He also said the threat perception to him increased after he deposed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court and testified that he shot the video of police torturing B Ajith Kumar, the victim.

M Saktheeswaran, one of the five men who were detained by a “special team” of police on June 27, wrote to Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal seeking protection by referring to the Madurai Bench order which asked the state government to provide necessary protection to the witnesses.

Saktheeswaran, who has been working at the Madapuram Badrakaliamman Temple in Thirupuvanam for the last two-and-a-half years, alleged that Raja, one of the accused policeman who is currently in judicial custody, has links with rowdies and history sheeters and that he will use them against him for deposing against six policemen who allegedly tortured Ajith Kumar.

“I shot the torture video which was produced before the High Court on July 1…I request you to provide armed police protection to me and my family due to the threat perception. Protection should also be given to other eyewitnesses,” he said in the letter.

Hours later, police security was provided to the key witness, sources said.

Taking cognizance of the video, the court had come down heavily on the Tamil Nadu government calling its actions of transferring Sivaganga SP and suspension of Manamadurai DSP as “insufficient.” Hours later, the DMK dispensation transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Henri Tiphagne, founder and executive director of Madurai-based human rights organisation People’s Watch, told DH that the state government should ensure that Saktheeswaran is protected in the best way.

“He is a crucial witness not just in the case of Ajith Kumar, but also relating to past atrocities of the policemen involved. He needs to be protected and it is also a duty of the court to ensure that he is protected,” Tiphagne said.

Meanwhile, DGP Jiwal ordered the closing of all unauthorized special teams of police across the state with the Tamil Nadu police issuing an advisory to its men on how to behave with the public. The case has also attained a different proportion with details of cheating cases emerging against Nikita, one of the women whose complaint led to police detaining Ajith Kumar.

Ajith Kumar, who worked as a security guard at Madapuram Badrakaliamman Temple in Thirupuvanam, in Sivaganga district, died after being allegedly tortured by six policemen of a “special team” formed to probe his role into a complaint filed by a mother-daughter duo that 10 sovereigns of gold went missing from their car.

The duo asked Ajith Kumar to park their vehicle and the victim, it is believed, sought the help of others in parking the car following which the women alleged that 10 sovereigns of gold went missing from their vehicle.

The police detained Ajith Kumar, his brother Naveen Kumar, and three others and let them off by June 27 evening but only to pick them up once again and take them to different locations before beating up the deceased.

An autopsy conducted on Ajit Kumar’s body has revealed over 15 external injury marks and grievous internal injuries. The deceased’s brother, Naveen Kumar, who was also detained by the “special police team” alleged that his brother was brutally thrashed in front of him and he was declared dead at a private hospital where he was taken on June 29 morning.