Sivaganga custodial death case: Court orders CBI to complete probe by August 20

In a significant development on Tuesday, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the probe in the custodial death of B AjithKumar, the temporary security guard at the Madapuram Badrakaliamman temple near Thiruppuvanam in Sivaganga district. The court directed the CBI director to appoint an investigating officer within a week, start the probe and submit the final report to the jurisdictional court by August 20.

Hearing a batch of PIL petitions filed about the custodial torture and the death of Ajithkumar, a division bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and A.D. Maria Clete directed the investigating officer to collect the report of the district judge. The district judge had already conducted the preliminary enquiry and collected material evidence leading to the death of Ajithkumar. The court also asked the CBI to collect other related documents from the registrar judicial of the High Court. 

The bench also directed the police department and the inspector general of police (south zone) and superintendents of police of Madurai and Sivaganga districts to provide the required assistance to the CBI team and also protect the witness under the witness protection scheme.

Taking cognisance of the inquiry report submitted by the Madurai additional district judge S. John Sunderlal Suresh, the court also took note of the report submitted by the state government to transfer the case to the CBI. The government had earlier issued a government order to transfer the case, both the custodial death of Ajithkumar and the alleged theft of jewels as claimed by the complainant Nikita, to the CBI.

The court also took into account the free house patta and a job in the Aavin department in Karaikudi given to Ajithkumar’s brother, Naveen Kumar. The bench then directed the government to take instructions from the court with regard to the interim compensation.

The custodial torture and the death of Ajithkumar had created a huge furore in Tamil Nadu, following which six policemen were arrested, the DSP suspended and the SP placed under compulsory waiting list. 

India