The wife of Anaikarai Muthu, a farmer from Tenkasi who died in the custody of Forest Department personnel, has filed a petition before the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court seeking a CB-CID probe into her husband’s death.
In her petition, Palammal said the family was engaged in agriculture. On July 22, at about 11 p.m., her husband was picked up by forest officials for inquiry.
It is said that Anaikarai Muthu was picked up by the officials on the charge of erecting an electric fence around his farm by drawing power illegally.
The petitioner said other family members also left for the forest office. On their way, they saw a jeep belonging to forest officials come from the opposite direction. Anaikarai Muthu was in the jeep in an unconscious state and they took him to the nearby government hospital. The farmer was then rushed to Government Hospital in Tenkasi where he was declared brought dead.
The petitioner alleged that she suspected that her husband was tortured by the forest officials in custody. She sought appropriate action against those officials involved in the alleged custodial torture and transfer of the investigation into the case from Tenkasi police to CB-CID.
