"Severe shortcomings in police functioning": AIADMK's Palaniswami demands action over retired police official's murder in TN's Tirunelveli

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 19 (ANI): AIADMK General Secretary and Opposition Leader Edappadi Palaniswami on Wednesday condemned the murder of retired Sub-Inspector of Police Zakhir Hussain in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu and called for appropriate measures to ensure justice for him.
Hussain, who was hacked to death on March 18, 2025, while returning home after early morning Ramzan prayers, had previously raised serious concerns about his safety.
Palaniswami criticised the police for failing to address Hussain's complaints and accused them of dereliction of duty, saying the incident highlights severe shortcomings in police functioning.
Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Edappadi Palaniswami condemned the murder of the retired police official and said that Hussain had filed a complaint three months earlier with the Tirunelveli City Police Commissioner, Town Assistant Commissioner, and the Inspector of Police, warning them that his life was under threat.
"In Tirunelveli city, on March 18, 2025, retired police officer Zakhir Hussain was brutally hacked to death by a group of individuals while returning home after completing the early morning Ramadan prayers at the mosque. He had previously served as an administrator at a Muslim Waqf institution," said Edappadi Palaniswami.
"Three months ago, he had filed a complaint with the Tirunelveli City Police Commissioner, the Town Assistant Commissioner, and the Inspector of Police, stating that his life was in danger. However, the police failed to investigate the matter properly or take any preventive action. Instead, it is reported that the police arranged a forced mediation (katta panchayat) between Zahir Hussain and the individuals he had accused in his complaint," he stated.
Palaniswami criticised the police for failing to address Hussain's complaints, saying, "This incident highlights severe shortcomings in police functioning."
He called for strict legal action against those responsible for both the murder and the negligence in handling Hussain's complaints.
Adding further, Palaniswami said, "The murder occurred amidst widespread allegations of police negligence, with a video of Hussain surfacing on social media. In the video, he had warned that a gang of 20 to 30 people was plotting to kill him. Despite Jahir Hussain submitting formal complaints, the police failed to investigate them properly, leading to this tragic murder. I strongly condemn this incident."
Palaniswami said that Zakhi Hussain also levelled allegations stating that both the Assistant Commissioner of Police and the Inspector of Police were leaking his complaints to the accused and supporting them.
Palaniswami called for appropriate measures to ensure justice for the victim and accountability for the authorities who failed to protect him.
"I urge that appropriate action be taken against the police officers who failed in their duty to address his complaint. This incident highlights the severe shortcomings in police functioning. I demand that strict legal action be taken against all those responsible for this murder," said Palaniswami.
A retired Sub-Inspector of Police, Zakhir Hussain, posted a video on social media expressing the fear that he might be killed and that a gang hacked him to death in Tirunelveli on Tuesday (March 18). He was reportedly involved in a land dispute.
In a social media post, Zakhir mentioned the death threat he was facing and accused two senior police officers from Tirunelveli of conspiring with the prime suspect. (ANI)