Palaniswami questions T.N. government on ganja peddling, custodial death

Despite assurances from Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Director General of Police C. Sylendra Babu, there are reports of deaths in police custody and deaths due to assaults by police personnel, charged the Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami

AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday questioned the DMK government over reported ganja peddling in various parts of the State, which allegedly led to other offences. He also criticised the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin over the death of a youth at Thiru.Vi.Ka. Nagar in Chennai, after he was taken for an enquiry by police and released later.

In a statement, Mr. Palaniswami referred to three incidents in Kancheepuram and Kundrathur areas last week, where those involved in ganja peddling were involved in criminal offences and charged that ganja was being used by minor children to college students to adults in Tamil Nadu.

“From where is ganja being peddled? Why cannot the source be identified? Why action has not been taken to curb this menace? Who is preventing the arrest of those selling drugs? There is no doubt if the ganja peddling and sale was interrupted, such instances would not have happened,” the former CM contended.

Mr. Palaniswami who highlighted incidents of a few cases of police excesses, death of a few persons while in police custody and deterioration of law and order situation, charged, “Chief Minister Mr. Stalin, who heads the police portfolio and other DMK Ministers could not answer my queries and are attempting to cover up these issues.”

The probe over the death of a 26-year old man who was accused of mobile phone theft, on December 12, and who was in the custody of Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar police was transferred to the CB-CID as an “eyewash,” Mr. Palaniswami said.

“These ‘lock up' deaths only prove that the police personnel are not really under the control of Chief Minister Mr. Stalin, who heads the home portfolio,” Mr. Palaniswami said and went on to recall the death of Vignesh of Kilpauk who died in police custody, seven months ago.

The Chief Minister and the Director-General of Police had assured that such incidents would not recur, Mr. Palaniswami recalled and said: “Even after this [such assurances], there are reports of such deaths in police custody and deaths due to assaults by police personnel. If such incidents recur due to the actions of a few policemen, the general public would hesitate even to file a complaint in the police station.”