A four-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday arrived here to probe the death of R. Vishnupriya (27), Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tiruchengode Division, who was found hanging in her quarters on September 18 last year.
The CBI team led by Rajah Balaji, Superintendent of Police, Ravi, Deputy Superintendent of Police and two officers arrived in the afternoon and met District Superintendent of Police S. Maheswaran and held discussions for 40 minutes.
The team is expected to conduct an inquiry for a week with police officers who handled the case, Vishnupriya’s driver P. Krishnamoorthy, who first noticed the body, the housemaid and the public. The team would visit the quarters where she was found dead.
A native of Kondur village in Cuddalore district, Vishnupriya was the investigating officer in the sensational murder case of Dalit youth Gokulraj, whose beheaded body was found on a railway track at South Thottipalayam, near Pallipalayam on June 24, 2015.
S. Yuvaraj, the prime accused in the case was on the run after the murder. He released audio clips blaming senior police officers for registering a “false case” against him.
After Vishnu Priya’s death, her father N. Ravi alleged that she was harassed by her superiors and demanded action against them.
Her friend, batchmate and serving DSP from Keezhakkarai in Ramanathapuram district K. Maheswari alleged that she ended her life due to torture and harassment by higher officers.
The purported suicide notes left by Vishnu Priya claimed that senior officers exerted pressure on her to arrest people unconnected with the murder. On September 19, the State government transferred the Gokulraj case and Vishnupriya case to the CB-CID. However, her father moved the Madras High Court seeking its transfer to the CBI. The court transferred the case to CBI on July 1.
Supreme Court stand
The State government then moved the Supreme Court challenging the order. However, the apex court on October 24 dismissed the government’s special leave petition and said the death of the officer was a very serious issue and that there cannot be any interference in the investigation by the CBI.
