Though Tamil Nadu Government on Wednesday offered a job in the State service for the daughter of P Jeyaraaj, who was “killed” with his 31-year-old son Fenix last week in police custody, the tempers in civil society has not cooled down over the alleged police atrocity.
Tamil Nadu Minister Kadambur Raju called on the bereaved family on Wednesday and handed over the letter appointing Jeyraaj’s daughter in the Government service to his widow.
Film actor Rajinikanth, who had made known his political ambitions earlier, condemned the action of the Tamil Nadu Police which resulted in the death of the father-son duo in police custody. “While the entire humanity has opposed the brutal killing of the father and son by torture, I was shocked at the way some policemen behaved and spoke in front of the judicial magistrate.
All those involved should get appropriate punishment. This should not be spared,” the actor said in his social media posting on Wednesday. But the actor was silent about the death of Murugesan of Tenkasi who too died in police torture in Tenkasi.
What makes Rajinikanth’s anger unique is that he had supported the police action in the May 22, 2018 Sterlite Rioting at Thoothukudi. Police had opened fire at rioting mob in front of the Sterlite Copper Ltd belonging to the Vedanata Group demanding the closure of the factory and this resulted in the death of 13 persons. Though human rights activists and opposition party leaders blamed the Police for the firing, Rajnikanth took a different stance and supported the cops.
“Anti-social elements had infiltrated the protests and created trouble. The people who participated in the protests including the fishermen were innocent. The same thing had happened on the final day of the Jallikkattu protests at Marina Beach in Chennai in early 2017.I will never accept policemen in uniform being attacked,” Rajnikanth had said after touring Thoothukudi in May 2018.
Jeyaraaj, who owned a mobile phone shop was taken into custody by the Sattankulam Police for alleged violation of lockdown rules which had specified that shops should down their shutters by 9 pm.
His son Fenix went to the police station to find out why his father was arrested when he too was held .
The duo was taken to Kovilpatti on being remanded to judicial custody where they fell ill and were rushed to Government General hospital where both of them died in quick succession.
Though there was another case of death due to alleged torture by the police from the district of Tenkasi, the agitation had fizzled out in a day. The Government is yet to announce a solation to the bereaved family of Murugesan.