Politics in Tamil Nadu has been intensified after the alleged custodial death of a 35-year-old specially abled man in Kanniyakumari district, with opposition DMK attacking the Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay as being silent on the issue.
The controversy erupted after Sabari Varman, arrested by the South Thamaraikulam Police on July 9 on suspicion of selling gutkha, died in a sub-jail on July 13. His family says he was brutally assaulted while in custody and a police investigation is under way.
According to officials, a post-mortem examination showed 19 injuries to Varman’s body, and there were serious questions about the circumstances of his death. Police investigations supported by CCTV footage from inside the prison showed that an altercation took place on the night of July 12, and that prison staff had assaulted the victim.
Following the investigation, Chief Warden N. Suresh and two other prison staff members were arrested in connection with the custodial death.
The incident has now triggered a political storm with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) accusing Chief Minister Joseph Vijay of not responding to the case despite having taken a strong stand against custodial deaths while he was in opposition.
The Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin called on Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, who also holds the Home portfolio and oversees the state's police and law-and-order machinery, to explain the circumstances of the death publicly.
In a post on social media platform X, Udhayanidhi said the minister in charge of the police department must clarify how the custodial death occurred and ensure accountability.
The DMK also recalled Vijay's criticism of the previous government during a custodial death case earlier. Party leaders said that when the DMK government led by former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was accused of custodial death, Vijay had rejected the government apology and asked for justice instead.
DMK leader Paranthamen compared the two situations, saying Stalin had accepted moral responsibility and apologised to the victim's family, while Vijay was now silent despite having direct responsibility for the Home Department.
In that time, Vijay said, ‘We don’t want your apology, we want justice.’ So the people of Tamil Nadu are saying to Vijay, ‘We don’t want reels, we want justice,’ Paranthamen said.
DMK spokesperson Hafeezullah also criticized the Chief Minister, saying Vijay had aggressively campaigned against custodial violence while in opposition but had failed to respond decisively now that a similar incident had occurred under his own administration.
The custodial death once again has the police accountability and prison reforms in Tamil Nadu under threat as opposition parties want to see a transparent investigation and immediate action against those responsible.
