Tamil Nadu custodial death: Vijay demands SIT probe, Ajith Kumar beaten with plastic pipes and iron rods- What we all need to know | India News
NEW DELHI: The death of Ajith Kumar, a temple guard who allegedly died in police custody in Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga, has sparked concerns across the city. Relatives of Ajith Kumar, employed as a security guard at the Madapuram Kaliamman temple in Tirupuvanam, have alleged that the 28-year-old man died after being beaten and tortured during interrogation by police..Ajit Kumar was initially detained for questioning regarding a theft at the Madapuram Kaliamman temple, the district Superintendent of Police said.
Here’s what we know:
Vijay demands SIT probe
Actor turned politician Vijay demanded for special investigation team in the Kumar’s custodial death case. In a post on X he said that the Ajith kumar custodial death case has raised numerous questions in the minds of the public and starkly highlights the extent to which the Tamil Nadu Police Department, operating under the direct supervision of MK Stalin, “acts in a cruel, utterly inhumane, and unjust manner” toward ordinary citizens, functioning as an unethical institution.“It is widely known that the Tamil Nadu government initially tried to protect the culprits. Only after pressure from various political parties, including the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, and the intervention of the Madurai Bench of the High Court did the police department begin taking action,” he said. “That is the current status of the various custodial death cases that have occurred during this regime? Has this government ensured that murder charges have been filed against all those accused in these cases and delivered justice to the victims? In a situation where the judges of the Madurai Bench of the High Court have expressed dissatisfaction, noting that 24 people have died in police custody over the past four years, the Tamil Nadu Home Minister must immediately release a white paper regarding the deaths of these 24 individuals,” he added.He recalled the Anna University student sexual assault case and said that because a special investigation team was formed under the direct supervision of the High Court, an inquiry was conducted, and a swift judgment was delivered, and so will happen in this case as well. “I solemnly warn that in the 2026 Assembly elections, the people will gift the anarchic regime led by Mr. M.K. Stalin, which oppresses ordinary citizens through the abuse of power, a defeat so unprecedented that the DMK could not even imagine it in Tamil Nadu’s history,” he said.
Tamil Nadu govt puts SP Ashish Rawat on ‘compulsory wait,’ case transferred to CB-CID
The Tamil Nadu administration has removed Sivaganga District Superintendent of Police, Ashish Rawat from his position and placed him on “compulsory wait” at the DGP’s office in Chennai.The action follows the alleged custodial death of Ajith Kumar, who worked as a temple security guard in Tamil Nadu’s Sivagangai district.The authorities have assigned Ramanathapuram SP, G Chandeesh, additional responsibility as the Superintendent of Police for Sivagangai district.The investigation of the custodial death case in Sivaganga district has been handed over to CB-CID (Crime Branch, Crime Investigation Department) for further probe.
‘Ajith Kumar was beaten with plastic pipes and iron rods,’ lawyer submits evidence
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court convened to examine a suo motu case regarding the suspected custodial death of Ajith Kumar, a temple security guard in Tamil Nadu’s Sivagangai district.At the proceedings, advocate Henri Tiphagne presented photographic evidence suggesting that Ajith Kumar had been subjected to assault with plastic pipes and iron rods. The court viewed video footage depicting police personnel assaulting Ajith Kumar.A previous petition filed by advocate Marish Kumar in this matter remains under consideration.Additionally, advocate Henri Tiphagne has submitted a petition requesting to join as a petitioner, which is also under consideration.During the proceedings, the court questioned the failure of police authorities to register a case despite receiving a jewellery theft complaint.
Five police personnel arrested in custodial death
Following the alleged custodial death of Ajith Kumar, the state government has confirmed the arrest of five police officers.“In connection with the alleged custodial death of Ajith Kumar, who died during an inquiry conducted on 28th June in Sivaganga district, six police personnel were immediately suspended from duty on the same day. Based on the findings of the post-mortem, the case has now been converted into a criminal case, and five police personnel have been arrested in connection with the incident. The case has been officially registered at the Tirupuvanam Police Station under Section 196(2)(a) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Act, and has been forwarded for judicial investigation,” the Tamil Nadu government said.
