Sivaganga custodial death: A slew of govt job scam cases against complainant Nikita resurface

Amid growing public outrage and protests over the custodial death of Madappuram Badrakaliamman temple security B. Ajithkumar, several old criminal records of the complainant J.P. Nikita has now emerged. Four individuals have filed complaints against Nikita for cheating them by promising government jobs.

A case has been registered against Nikita and her family members in 2011 at the Thirumangalam police station near Madurai based on a complaint from an individual named Theivam. Apart from him, three others Rajangam of Pachagopanpatti, Theivam’s relative Vinothkumar and Selvam from Sekkaanooranai have filed complaints with the Thirumangalam police ADSP. Theivam had filed a complaint in 2011, stating that Nikita and her mother Sivakami had taken Rs. 25 lakh from him promising a Village Administrative Officer and a school teacher job, saying that she has influence in the then deputy chief minister’s office. “We followed up with her for many years. But nothing progressed. Later as her family threatened us, we did not ask for the money,” says Theivam.

Nikita’s contradictory statements and the many unanswered questions

Nikita’s contradictory statements and the past criminal records against her have raised doubts about her allegations against Ajith Kumar. In fact, there are many unanswered questions about her complaint and the case as a whole.

Why did Nikita and her mother leave their 10 sovereign gold in the car’s rear seat, instead of wearing it? If Nikita had forgotten to wear the jewellery, why didn’t her 80-year old mother Sivakami remind her about it when she alighted from the car? Whose jewellery was it - Nikita’s or Sivakami's? Why did Nikita give the car for valet parking to a temple guard who was a stranger to her, when she had left the jewellery in the rear seat? Nikita apparently drove the car for over 25 kilometres from Madurai to the Madapuram Badrakaliamman temple and there is no valet parking available at the temple premises. The temple is also not a crowded place to look for support for car parking. Why did Ajith Kumar, who doesn’t know driving take the car key and take it for valet parking? And why didn’t she give a written complaint at the Thiruppuvanam police station? Why did the police interrogate Ajith Kumar without registering an FIR?

Eyewitness threatened

Meanwhile, the key eyewitness in the case, Saktheeswaran, alleged threat to his life and sought armed police protection. In his plea to the DGP, he said he feared for his life as well as the safety of his family members, as one of the policemen who attacked Ajith Kumar was in touch with history sheeters and criminals. An employee at the Badrakaliamman temple at Madappuram Saktheeswaran is the eyewitness who recorded the policemen beating Ajith Kumar on his mobile phone and the clip is a key proof for the police brutality inflicted on the victim. The clip had gone viral and was submitted as evidence in the court. Based on his plea, armed police protection was given to Saktheeswaran.

India