Evidence points to murder in Congress leader Jayakumar’s demise

Chennai Congress leader's death under suspicious circumstances points to possible murder, with police investigating further.

Evidence that has surfaced in the death of Congress Tirunelveli East district president K.P.K Jayakumar Dhanasingh appear to point to murder.

He was reported missing on May 3 and his half-burnt body was found on Saturday in the backyard of his house. According to police sources, Dhanasingh feared for his life from some persons, including senior politicians, who owed him a lot of money. However, reports that he had lodged a complaint with the Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police over threat to his life were untrue. Two letters that he purportedly wrote – one addressed to the Tirunelveli SP and the other to his son-in-law – were found on his office table and never delivered, they said.

“It is unclear why the complaint was not handed over to the police. The letter claimed that an MLA and a former MP were among those who owed him money. Some people were found moving around his house in a suspicious manner in the run up to the Lok Sabha election,” a senior police officer told The Hindu on Sunday.

Investigation revealed that Dhanasingh had asked his secretary to take copies of the letters. Though he went missing on the evening of May 2, a complaint was filed only the next evening. A wooden plank was placed on the victim’s partly charred body, found behind his house, and tied with metal wires. A scrubber that is used to wash vessels was stuffed in his mouth, perhaps in a bid to prevent him from raising an alarm, the officer, who did not want to be quoted, said.

“Presuming that the incident happened on the night of May 2 or 3, Dhanasingh’s wife and son who were at home at the time say they did not hear or see anything unusual. The neighbours, too, say they did not see anyone or hear anything suspicious. The fuel, wooden plank and wires were all taken from the backyard of the house. The CCTV installed in the house was not working,” the officer further said.

Post-mortem report and forensic analysis would provide more evidence. “We are sending the handwritten letters to document experts to confirm that it was indeed Dhanasingh’s handwriting. If proved otherwise, there is more than what meets the eye in this case...” he added.

Another police officer said that the possibility of suicide could not be ruled out given the circumstances that led to the death. The front portion of the body alone was burnt, and there was no trace of any injury on the back, he said, adding: “We are awaiting forensic reports and trying to reconstruct his activities in the last few hours prior to his death. There is no clarity on why the complaint was not handed over to the SP. There seems to be no strong motive for a murder....”