Relatives of R. Balamurugan (25), who was allegedly beaten to death by the police on Thursday, demanded registration of a murder case against four policemen of Koomapatti Police Station.
They also sought registration of case under the provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and an enquiry by a judicial magistrate and not by the Revenue Divisional Officer.
As the relatives and representatives of human rights organisations stood their ground on these demands, post-mortem of the body could not be taken up till Friday afternoon.
Sivakasi RDO Manivannan and Srivilliputtur DSP Muralidharan held talks with them till 1 p.m. at the Government Hospital in Watrap.
The DSP told the protestors that any alteration in the First Information Report could only be done by the Magistrate and not by him.
However, the protestors insisted that the police should alter the FIR in which a murder case had been registered against unnamed police personnel.
In a fresh complaint, the youth’s father Ramachandran named Special Sub-Inspector Panjapandi and constables Jyothimurugan, Raviikumar and Saksikumar. He said that the police had “beaten up and tortured to death” his son on Thursday evening. He demanded their immediate arrest.
He sought that more than two teams of doctors should perform the post-mortem and its entire process should be videographed.
The agitators wanted the State government to provide Rs. 10 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased and a government job to one of the members of the family.
Huge posse of police personnel were deployed around the GH, where a large number of villagers had gathered.
