Tamil Nadu: Five police personnel arrested in custodial death case in Sivaganga

Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 1 (ANI): In the wake of the alleged custodial death of Ajith Kumar, who died during a police inquiry conducted in Sivaganga district, five police personnel have been arrested, the Tamil Nadu government said.
"In connection with the alleged custodial death of Ajith Kumar, who died during an inquiry conducted on 28th June in Sivaganga district, six police personnel were immediately suspended from duty on the same day. Based on the findings of the post-mortem, the case has now been converted into a criminal case, and five police personnel have been arrested in connection with the incident. The case has been officially registered at the Tirupuvanam Police Station under Section 196(2)(a) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Act, and has been forwarded for judicial investigation," the Tamil Nadu government said.
Family members of a temple guard from Sivaganga who died in police custody have alleged that the cause of death of the 28-year-old was not natural, and he passed away allegedly after being beaten and tortured during police interrogation.
Ajit Kumar was initially detained for questioning regarding a theft at the Madapuram Kaliamman temple in Tirupuvanam, where he worked as a security guard, the district Superintendent of Police said.
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the incident and demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter and to provide compensation for Kumar's family.
In a post on X, Palaniswami said, "Ajit Kumar, a security guard at the Madapuram temple in Sivagangai district, was reportedly arrested and interrogated by the Thirupuvanam police following a complaint that he had stolen 9.5 sovereigns of gold jewellery from a female devotee's car. During the interrogation, Ajit Kumar allegedly died due to police assault. His relatives, refusing to accept his body, have launched a protest."
Sivaganga District SP said that after this incident, six policemen of the crime branch unit involved in the questioning were placed under suspension by the District Superintendent of Police, and an investigation was underway.
Kumar was picked up by police for questioning following a complaint filed by two women, Sivakami and her daughter Nikitha, who alleged that about 10 sovereigns of gold jewellery had gone missing from their car.
On June 26, Niktha, from Tirumangalam in the Madurai district and her 76-year-old mother Sivakami had travelled by car to the temple. Niktha had parked her vehicle near the temple premises and reportedly handed over the keys to Ajit Kumar, requesting him to park it aside. As he claimed he did not know how to drive, he is said to have arranged for someone else to move the car.
After their darshan at the temple, Niktha received the car keys back from Ajith Kumar. Upon checking, she found that 9 1/2 sovereigns of gold jewellery kept inside the car were missing. When she questioned Ajit Kumar, he allegedly denied any knowledge of the missing valuables.
Following this, Niktha complained to the police. A special team from the Manamadurai crime branch arrived at the temple and took Ajith Kumar in for questioning in a police van.
Later that evening, police claimed that Ajit Kumar developed sudden health complications. He was first taken to a private hospital in Sivaganga and then referred to another hospital in Madurai. However, doctors at the hospital declared him dead on arrival.
Kumar's family members and friends alleged that he died as a result of police assault during interrogation. (ANI)