Chennai, July 25 (IANS) DMK president M.K. Stalin has strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu government over the death of a 24-year-old man from Thoothukudi, alleging that the incident reflects a disturbing pattern of custodial deaths in the State.
He questioned when Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay would respond to the recurring incidents and accused the government of failing to show accountability or compassion.
The criticism follows the death of Arunachalam, a resident of Amudha Nagar in Thoothukudi district, who died while undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital after allegedly sustaining injuries during police custody.
According to available information, Arunachalam was arrested by the police on July 17 on charges of selling liquor illegally in the black market.
Police said he developed health complications later the same day while in custody. He was subsequently released on bail and sent home with his relatives after his condition reportedly deteriorated. Arunachalam was later admitted to the Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital, where he remained under treatment for several days. He died on Wednesday despite medical efforts to save him.
Following his death, members of his family alleged that he had been assaulted by police personnel during custody and claimed that the injuries he sustained led to his death.
The allegations triggered protests by relatives and local residents, who demanded a fair investigation and action against those responsible.
The incident has also drawn criticism from several political parties, with opposition leaders calling for transparency in the inquiry.
Reacting to the incident, Stalin took to social media platform X to condemn what he described as the continuing trend of custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu. In his post, the DMK leader asked when the Chief Minister would finally speak about the repeated incidents of deaths in police custody.
Referring to Vijay’s remarks while he was in the Opposition, Stalin said the present Chief Minister had once demanded explanations from the then government, asking whether merely saying “sorry” was enough in such cases. Stalin alleged that after assuming office, the Chief Minister had failed even to offer an apology or publicly express sympathy to the bereaved family.
He questioned whether “accountability” and “apology” had become words the present government wished to avoid and accused the ruling TVK administration of showing little compassion towards the families of those who lose their lives in alleged custodial incidents.
The custodial death allegation has once again intensified political scrutiny over policing practices and the demand for an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding Arunachalam’s death.
–IANS
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