Ramanathapuram student’s death: TamilNadu Human Rights Commission issues notice to IG

RAMANATHAPURAM: Taking suo motu cognisance of the death of a 20-year-old college student who died at his house hours after alleged police brutality, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has issued notice to the Inspector General of Police, South Zone TS Anbu.

A resident of Neerkozhiyendal village and a final year undergraduate student, L Manikandan who reportedly sped past the police during a vehicle search on December 4 was allegedly chased down and taken to Keelathooval police station for questioning. The youth was reportedly sent home along with his mother and younger brother around 8.50 pm. After reaching his house, Manikandan died in the wee hours on December 5. 

Refusing to receive his body from Mudukulathur government hospital where an autopsy was performed, the student’s kin staged a protest alleging police brutality led to his death. Following an order passed by the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, a re-postmortem was conducted at the Ramanathapuram government medical college hospital on December 8. 

On December 9, Anbu visited Keelathooval police station and held a discussion with the station policemen over the incident, in the presence of Superintendent of Police E Karthik. At this juncture, the SHRC that took suo motu cognisance of the youth’s death, issued notice to the Inspector General, South Zone on Friday, directing him to submit a report over the incident within six weeks.