Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan on Sunday said that the government's decision to suspend two police officers [now three] in connection with the recent deaths of a father and son, due to alleged custodial torture in the Sattankulam police station, is insufficient. He demanded that all those who were “supportive” and stood as silent spectators should also be punished.
Mr. Haasan, in a statement, charged that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was trying to conceal his inability to control the spread of COVID-19 by relying on the policeman’s lathi. He asked if the government thinks that it is enough to merely suspend police officers in this case.
“Is it possible for two sub-inspectors to transfer two persons (victims Jayaraj and his son Benicks) from the police station to the jail? How many departments should have supported them? How many people would have been with them? Does the government not understand that ‘name-sake’ decisions, without understanding the complete truth, are not useful?” asked Mr. Haasan.
He further said that Mr. Palaniswami cannot ‘go past the murders’ after hurriedly announcing solatium for the kin of the deceased.
“All those who are responsible for the murders should be punished — those who are responsible for the murder, those who aided it, those who watched it happen with folded hands and those who tried to cover it up,” said Mr. Haasan.
He asked what the State government is going to do to reform the police force that has the “blood of the father and son in their hands”. He also charged that the government is imposing power, hegemony and injustice on the people instead of safeguarding democracy.
Meanwhile, actor Rajinikanth called the family of P. Jayaraj and Benicks over phone and expressed his condolences. Actor Suriya and director Hari on Sunday also condemned the custodial deaths in Sattankulam.
In a statement, Mr. Suriya said that he hoped “systemic violence” does not continue to take place in the police department and that the State government, the judiciary and senior police officers implement suitable reforms to ensure that such incidents don’t happen in the future.
Director Hari, who wrote and directed the famous Singam movies, said that the culprits responsible for the two deaths should get “highest possible” punishment. “I feel sad that I made five movies in praise of the police department,” he said.
‘Blot on police dept.’
Tamil Nadu BJP president L. Murugan on Sunday said that only an impartial and fair probe and adequate punishment to the accused, would wipe away the blot on the State police department.
Expressing his condolences to the family, Mr. Murugan said the BJP would stand by the family till justice was delivered. “No amount of monetary compensation will equal the loss the family has had to endure. The Sattankulam incident is a blot on the image of the police department,” he said.
Mr. Murugan said that with the High Court stepping in, people have got the confidence that the probe would be conducted in a fair manner. “We cannot consider these deaths lightly. The way the police look at crores of traders is evident through this incident. The government should take strict action against the accused in these deaths,” he said.
