Tuticorin custodial deaths: AIADMK vows justice for Jayaraj and Fenix; ruling party, DMK announce Rs 25 lakh to kin of deceased

Chennai: The ruling AIADMK on Friday vowed to do justice for the deaths of a father-son duo following alleged police torture while main opposition DMK accused the government of allowing police to take law into their own hands. Each of the two key parties of Tamil Nadu announced a solatium of Rs 25 lakh to the family of the two men who died in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district days ago. In the backdrop of the outrage against the deaths of the father and son, AIADMK top leaders, O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami asserted that their party would never allow such incidents and vowed to do justice. The deaths of P Jayaraj and his son J Fennix was “very unfortunate, anguishing and the AIADMK would never allow such agonising incidents,” Panneerselvam, who is the party coordinator and deputy chief minister, and Palaniswami, co-coordinator and chief minister said in a statement. Describing their party as a fortress for the people, they said Rs 25 lakh will be provided to the family for assistance and assured that the AIADMK will “uphold justice” in the matter of the deaths of the two men. DMK president MK Stalin, who earlier in the day announced a solatium of Rs 25 lakh to the family of the two men, targeted the AIADMK government over the deaths. The alleged brutal assault on the two men by police was “a result of the AIADMK government allowing them to take law into their own hands at a time when they have to ensure the safety of the public during the lockdown,” he said in a statement. Jayaraj and his son, arrested for ‘violating’ lockdown norms by allegedly extending business hours of their cellphone shop, died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on 23 June, with the relatives alleging that they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam police station by police personnel earlier. The incident had triggered a furore in the state, leading to the suspension of four policemen, including two sub-inspectors. Traders had downed shutters, protests were held. The Madras High Court had also sought a report from police. The State Director General of Police later issued fresh guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures to govern arrests. Stalin, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, said all those responsible for the alleged ‘barbarity’ should get tough punishment and his party would support all legal action for it. Expressing sympathies to wife of Jayaraj, he announced Rs 25 lakh financial assistance to the family by the DMK.