- Five cops in Tamil Nadu have been arrested for allegedly torturing a man to death
- MK Stalin has ordered that the case be transferred to the CBI
- Madras High Court said "some evidence has been destroyed" and that "even murderer will not attack like this"
In a major embarrassment for the Tamil Nadu government, five police personnel have been arrested for allegedly torturing a temporary security guard to death in custody in Sivaganga district. The victim, identified as Ajith Kumar, was employed at a temple in Thirupuvanam.
The district's Superintendent of Police has been placed under "compulsory wait", and the state police chief's office claims swift action was taken following the post-mortem report that confirmed custodial torture.
Chief Minister MK Stalin has ordered that the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
In a personal gesture, Mr Stalin also spoke to Ajith's grieving mother and brother, assuring them of stringent action against the accused police officers and extending all necessary support from the state.
"There should be no doubts about the investigation. I've always reiterated that the police must act in a way that upholds human rights. Incidents like this are unacceptable. The act by a few personnel is unpardonable. I'd like to warn-acts like this should never happen," the Chief Minister said in a statement.
This marks a significant development after the state government earlier announced a CBCID probe and told the Madras High Court it had no objection to a CBI investigation.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ordered a District Judge to investigate whether the death of the security guard is a case of custodial killing. The Judge has been asked to submit a detailed report by July 8, while the Tamil Nadu Police have been directed to hand over all evidence, including CCTV footage, to aid the investigation.
The court's strong intervention follows a disturbing post-mortem report and an unverified video, which has been widely circulated online, allegedly showing Ajith being brutally assaulted by men in plain clothes, identified as police personnel, behind the temple where he worked.
The assault reportedly followed a complaint by a woman who claimed Ajith had stolen her jewellery from her car after she had asked him to park it. She is alleged to be well-acquainted with a bureaucrat, a charge the police deny, stating only that her mother is differently abled.
The bench observed: "Ajith has died after a severe attack all over his body. This court feels even a murderer will not attack like this." The court also noted, "Some evidence has been destroyed. The investigating officer doesn't appear to have collected all evidence."
Calling this dangerous in a highly educated state like Tamil Nadu, the High Court also directed the state to take action against all officials responsible, including senior officers, and file a report.
The court had earlier raised multiple red flags about the police handling of the case:
Why was Ajith's body shifted to Madurai, instead of investigating in Thirupuvanam, where he died?
Was this done to evade CCTV cameras?
Who authorised the special police team to take over?
Why wasn't an FIR filed in the alleged jewellery theft case that led to his detention?
Would the police react the same way if a member of their family had died in custody?
This episode has sparked political tremors. The ruling DMK, which had sharply criticised the AIADMK over the Sathankulam custodial deaths of 2020, now faces backlash over its own handling of police excesses - just ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
While Tamil Nadu Police maintain that custodial deaths have "reduced significantly" in recent years, this case once again brings the spotlight back on custodial violence and systemic gaps in accountability within law enforcement.
