A day after Ramkumar, the lone suspect in the Infosys techie Swathi murder case died, DMK president M. Karunanidhi questioned the claim of Puzhal prison officials that the accused had committed suicide and sought a judicial probe into the incident.
Recalling Ramkumar’s earlier charge that the police were trying to kill him, Mr. Karunanidhi in a statement on Monday raised several questions on the circumstances in which he died. “There are doubts whether Ramkumar committed suicide or was killed. There needs to be a judicial probe into his death headed by a judge of the Madras High Court,” he said.
“It is not believable that Ramkumar died after biting a live electric wire. Is the prison being run in such a way that prisoners can easily ‘bite electric wires?’ Could he have done that without the knowledge of the guards inside the prison? Where did the securitymen inside the prison go? Isn’t it natural to ask if a live wire was forced on him to kill him,” the DMK leader asked, adding that the State government must take responsibility for his death.
He also cited The Hindu report, ‘A death that raises many questions,’ which had highlighted the guidelines issued by the National Human Rights Commission in ensuring the safety of prisoners.
Taking a jibe at the ruling party, he sarcastically remarked, “When we thought that those who are on the road have no security, even those inside prisons have no security.”
M. Karunanidhi added that all those responsible for security lapses inside the jail must be brought to book. “If the State government tries to cover up this issue, incidents like this will continue. It will seem as if the government is condoning such incidents,” the DMK chief said.
In a separate statement, PMK founder S. Ramadoss also underlined the duty of the police to ensure that those who are accused of heinous crimes are given a proper trial and convicted.
“Such deaths inside prisons have to be prevented. The government has to clarify and answer the questions that have been raised,” he said. The Tamil Maanila Congress and Indian Union Muslim League have also demanded an independent inquiry into Ramkumar’s death.
