Solatium handed over to family in Salem

Collector S. Karmegam on Friday handed over a cheque of ₹10 lakh to the family of Prabakaran, a man with disability, who died while in judicial custody.

The Senthamangalam police in Namakkal district on January 11 arrested Prabakaran (45) and his wife Hamsala (40) of Karuppur here for their involvement in a case related to stealing gold ornaments at a house in Senthamangalam. Prabakaran was lodged at a sub-jail in Namakkal where he fell ill. He was admitted to the district headquarters hospital in Namakkal and later shifted to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital in Salem. But, he died on January 12.

His relatives and members of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi staged a road block near the Salem Collectorate on January 13 claiming that Prabakaran was beaten while in the custody of the Senthamangalam police and demanded registration of a case under the SC/ST Act and arrest of police personnel. Later, two Sub-Inspectors and a head constable were placed under suspension.

On January 17, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin ordered the transfer of probe to the Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) and announced a solatium to the bereaved family from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.On Friday, the cheque was handed over to the family during which S.R. Parthiban, MP, and R. Rajendran, MLA, were present.