Police sources said that the Crime Branch-CID of Tamil Nadu Police on Saturday arrested five policemen and a home guard in connection with Vignesh’s death in custody here on April 19.
Acting on the directions of Director General of Police (CB-CID) M Shakeel Akhtar, a special team questioned the policemen on duty on April 18 and 19 and took them into custody, sources in the probe agency said.
During the investigation and the interrogation of eyewitnesses, the role of five police personnel and a home guard was established.
Their names were given as Constable Paunraj, Head Constable Munaf, Special Sub-Inspector Kumar, Home Guard Deepak, Armed Reserve Police Constable Jagjivan and Chandra Kumar. Sources said the accused persons were produced before a city court for remand.
sections changed
Chief Minister MK Stalin informed the Assembly on Friday that the CB-CID has been directed to convert the case into a murder case and framing charges of murder against the police personnel concerned. Vignesh’s body, the investigating agency, incorporated provisions of Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1988 in the First Information Report against the accused police personnel.
Sources said investigators will soon question Vignesh’s family members, his employer Ranjit, autorickshaw driver Prabhu and others. The statement of Suresh, who was arrested along with Vignesh would be significant as he was a direct witness, sources said, adding that efforts were on to seize CCTV footage related to the incident – from the scene of Vignesh’s arrest on April. 18 and reportedly until being taken to hospital the next day after developing epilepsy – from all possible sources.
family returned the bribe
Vignesh’s family offered to return ₹1 lakh allegedly given as bribe by the police to keep quiet on the issue.
According to Henry Tiffagne, executive director of People’s Watch- Tamil Nadu, Vinod, Vignesh’s harasser, appeared before the judicial magistrate on Friday and offered to return the money paid to him by the police in two installments of Rs 50,000.
However, the magistrate refused to receive the cash but assured him that his statement would be recorded. He said an inspector paid Rs 50,000, while the second installment was paid by a sub-inspector, who came in plain clothes.
Mr Tiffagne said he, along with some other senior lawyers and human rights activists, had shifted Vignesh’s family to a safer place as they were in danger. “We have informed the court and the police that the family members will appear when called upon and cooperate in the investigation as per law,” he said.