The imbroglio in the mysterious death of a Dalit youth, R. Balamurugan (25) who was allegedly beaten up to death by the police on Thursday evening, came to an end after the parents agreed to take his body from the Government hospital in Watrap on Saturday.
The parents, relatives and representatives of human rights organisations and political parties on Friday had left the body at the GH protesting against the police refusing to alter the murder case under the provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and to include the names of four police personnel in the first information report.
However, the father, Ramachandran, a ruling party functionary, accepted to take the body home on Saturday morning. "He was compromised by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam functionaries," said, S. Pandiammal, the State Coordinator of People's Watch, a Madurai-based NGO.
The police said that they stood by their promise of altering the FIR, if required, during the course of investigation.
The villagers have also demanded that the two attempt-to-murder case registered against the villagers based on the complaint given by the police personnel of Koomapatti police station should be withdrawn.
Meanwhile, the Revenue officials have promised to look into two demands put forth by the parents of the deceased.
"They have sought a Government job for the widow of the deceased and compensation for his death. Their petitions will be processed and the Government will take the final decision," the Srivilliputtur Tahsildar, V. Jayanthi, said.
The body was taken to Koomapatti and cremated by forenoon.
Meanwhile, Pandiammal said that People's Watch would petition to the Director General of Police against the Srivilliputtur Deputy Superintendent of Police, Muralidharan, who is the investigating officer in the case, for not altering the case under the provisions of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and also for filing a case in counter in violation of the latest amendments to the special Act.
"We will also approach the State and National Human Rights Commissions on the issue," she said.
