Cops tried to bribe us to keep mum: Family of Tamil Nadu man killed in police custody

About 10 days after a youth from an SC community died in police custody in Chennai, the family of a man, from the Malai Kuravar tribal community, has alleged he was beaten to death by police for failing to pay a bribe.

Thangamani, a 48-year-old farmer from Thattaranai, was secured by the enforcement wing of the police on Tuesday allegedly for brewing illicit liquor.

Denying the family’s allegations, police said he was remanded in the Tiruvannamalai sub-jail that evening but died the next day at 8.45 pm at Tiruvannamalai Government Hospital, where he was rushed after developing seizures.

Chief Minister MK Stalin, responding to Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami in Assembly on Friday, said action will be taken after receiving the postmortem report.

The family of a 48-year-old Thangamani has alleged that a group of policemen tried to negotiate with them and pay them money to hush up Thangamani's death on April 27.

Thangamani's family has alleged that he died while he was in judicial custody in Tiruvannamalai. The 48-year-old man was arrested on April 26 on charges of brewing arrack illegally and sent to Tirvuannamalai sub-jail, and he died the next day.

While his family alleged that he was beaten to death in jail, the police refuted the allegations and claimed that he died of health issues.

The family said Thangamani had no history of health problems. Stalin said in the House that once Thangamani, who was in the sub-jail under judicial custody, fell sick on April 27 he was taken to the hospital at around 7.40 pm.

Despite treatment, he died at 8.40 pm, the CM said, adding postmortem was conducted on Thursday night Palaniswami said police prevented the family from meeting the Collector. He asked the government to hand over the case to the CBI.