A section of residents of Karuppayoorani on Monday morning squatted on Sivaganga Road, charging that an elderly man, A. Abdul Rahim (75) died after he was pushed down by a policeman. However, later the family members stated in writing that the man had had a natural death and took the body to their home.
The problem started when a police patrol vehicle found a crowd in front of a rice shop. As the people had not maintained personal distancing, the police had asked them not to unnecessarily form a crowd.
Rahim owned a meat shop , next to the ration shop. “Though the shop was not functional today, Rahim and his son-in-law Shahjahan were sitting outside the shop, and our policemen had objected to this,” the Oomachikulam sub-division Deputy Superintendent of Police, C. Nallu said.
After the police left the scene after making the crowd disperse, family members complained that Rahim had died after he was assaulted by the police. Local residents staged a protest with the body.
“We assured the family members that we will file a First Information Report if there was a police complaint. We promised to take legal action against any police personnel, if the post-mortem report suggested that he died because of any assault,” the DSP said.
However, the family members, after taking the body to a private hospital, later gave in writing that the death was due to natural causes and sought no action on this issue, the DSP said.
