THOOTHUKUDI: CB-CID Inspector General K Shankar said here on Saturday that the agency was planning to take custody of the five policemen, who are accused in the Sathankulam custodial deaths case, for interrogation next week. The investigation is on all angles, and statements from more than 10 witnesses have been recorded, the IG said.
Hours after the CB-CID IG hinted at taking custody of the accused sleuths, the TN Prison Department shifted them from Perurani district jail in Thoothukudi to Madurai Central Prison. Thoothukudi SP S Jeyakumar said district police provided vehicles to shift the accused, as requested by the Prison Department. According to sources, the vehicles left Perurani jail around 4.30 pm and were expected to reach Madurai Central Prison by 8 pm.
Fifth accused nabbed
One of the accused policemen, Head Constable M Muthuraj, was nabbed from Poosanur village in the district in the late hours of Friday. Muthuraj, who was on run for last few days, was caught by a team and was immediately handed over to CB-CID. Muthuraj was presented before Chief Judicial Magistrate S Hema and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days at district jail in Perurani.
Charge handed over
The revenue official who had taken control of the Sathankulam police station as per the High Court order, has handed over the charge to newly transferred Inspector Bernard Xavier. This comes even as Kovilpatti Judicial Magistrate Barathidasan and CB-CID sleuths completed collection of documents and material evidence from the station. The Madurai Bench of Madras HC had ordered the district administration to take control of the station, as the sleuths there refused to cooperate with the probe. Collector Sandeep Nanduri had designated Social Security Scheme Tahsildar Chendur Rajan as the authoritative head of the station.
Collector rejects claims
Collector Sandeep Nanduri rejected the reports that claimed Sathankulam police station was the first police station to be taken over by the Revenue department since the enactment of the Indian Penal Code, 1861. Nanduri told Express that “the revenue officer helped magistrate collect all necessary documents and material evidence, but did not administer the station”. The police continued their duty, he said.
News website editor booked
Sleuths from the CB-CID, who are investigating the alleged custodial deaths of father-son duo in Sathankulam, have booked the editor of a news website for allegedly publishing morphed photos of the victims. According to a release from B-CID, a morphed photo of two men with cut injuries on their bodies, identifying them as Jeyaraj and Beniks were published in a website “Makkal Seithi Mayyam”. “The photos have been morphed and published to create social unrest,”added the release. Summons have been served to the editor of the website.
Sarathkumar visits family
The actor on Saturday visited the bereaved family of P Jeyaraj and J Beniks, and gave away a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to Jeyaraj’s widow Selvarani.