MADURAI: The shocking death of a temple security guard Ajith Kumar recently while in police custody has now led to a strong demand for enacting a separate comprehensive law in the Tamil Nadu Assembly to stop custodial deaths and implement police reforms immediately in the State.
This appeal has come from Coalition of People’s Movements against Police Violence and a representation for setting up an independent authority to handle complaints against the police was made today to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr.M.K.Stalin and to all MLAs in the State assembly requesting them to enact a law to crimininalize police torture and custodial deaths.
A copy of this demand letter which was endorsed by more than 150 eminent persons from various walks of life in civil society, human rights organisations, writers, intellectuals, political parties, academicians and journalists was released to the media at a press conference held in Madurai today- July 12th 2025 where a few signatories had also objected to the handing over of Ajith Kumar’s custodial death case to the CBI by the State government.
WORKING CCTV CAMERAS IN POLICE STATIONS:
“Our demand is that there must a separate law to deal with custodial deaths and police excesses. The State Assembly must pass this law and make it effective to stop police torture. The Tamil Nadu government must ensure functioning CCTV cameras in working condition in all police stations so that there will be evidence. Our request to the State government is to initiate departmental action against officers guilty of torture, custodial harassment, publicize the recommendations of the Fifth Police Commission headed by retired justice C.T.Selvam because we are deeply disturbed with the tragic custodial death of Ajith Kumar on June 28th and it indicates the mindset of police and systemic failure,” Prof.Dr.R.Murali, advocate Mr.John Vincent and human rights activist Mr.R.Kumaran told reporters at the press meet in Madurai today.
WHAT THE PEOPLE’S WATCH HAS SAID?:
The Coalition of People’s Movements against Police Violence has cited in its letter to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister about the 31 custodial deaths that took place in the State as per the details given by human rights organization People’s Watch in Madurai.
“It has become a disturbing trend that detainees are being physically tortured by police. Police interrogation practices are disturbing in Tamil Nadu and torture is becoming normalized. This is a grave human rights violation and hence we are making an appeal to our Chief Minister to enact a separate law for stopping police torture by implementing police reforms as quickly as possible. We will write to all MLAs in our State to take it up in the Assembly as an urgent item,” Dr.R.Murali has said after expressing his anguish for the custodial death of Ajith Kumar who was a security guard at Madapuram in Sivaganga district.
