Chennai, July 12 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against police personnel of Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu in connection with the "custodial" death of a private security guard employed at the Madapuram Temple in Thiruppuvanam.
The CBI has taken over the case under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with offences relating to custodial violence and deaths.
On June 28, Ajith Kumar was picked up by a special police team in connection with an informal complaint about a jewel theft near the Badrakali Amman Temple.
Despite there being no formal arrest or warrant, he was taken into custody and allegedly subjected to brutal torture during an unofficial interrogation.
The following day, Ajith was brought to the Government Hospital in Madurai with multiple injuries and was declared dead on June 29.
The autopsy revealed signs of severe physical assault, consistent with custodial torture.
The incident triggered widespread protests across Tamil Nadu with civil society groups, human rights organisations, and political parties demanding immediate justice and accountability.
The victim's family accused the police of attempting to cover up the incident by portraying the death as natural and alleged that there were efforts to cremate the body hastily without conducting a proper post-mortem examination.
Public outrage and intervention by rights groups forced a second post-mortem examination under judicial supervision.
The Madras High Court's Madurai Bench took serious note of the case and expressed concern over the repeated instances of custodial violence in the state.
A CBI team from the Special Crime Branch in Delhi has begun preliminary investigations, including gathering evidence, reviewing medical reports, and identifying the officers involved.
The agency is expected to pursue charges against multiple police officials and bring greater scrutiny to custodial practices in Tamil Nadu.
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