The Crime Branch CID (CB-CID) police which is investigating the murder case of Dalit youth Gokulraj has been granted five days custody of prime accused S. Yuvaraj.
After his surrender at the CB-CID office here on Sunday, the officials inquired him for eight hours and then produced him before Chief Judicial Magistrate S. Malarmathy around midnight. The magistrate ordered him to be lodged in the Namakkal sub-jail and produce him in the court on Monday.
Yuvaraj was brought to the court with face covered at 11.25 a.m. on Monday. Over 250 police personnel were posted for security at the court and the public was not allowed on the premises.
CB-CID ADSP G. Stalin filed a petition before the court seeking custody of Yuvaraj for 15 days. The petition said that they needed to interrogate Yuvaraj on his interviews to television channels and release of audio clips besides the case.
However, Yuvaraj’s lawyer R. Krishnan opposed police custody and said that his client had fully cooperated with the CB-CID officials during interrogation on Sunday. Also, the CB-CID was vested with powers to investigate the murder case and not on his interviews and releases on social media, the lawyer contended.
“If the court is ready to grant custody, his client should not be harassed mentally and physically and should be treated properly. Also, same questions should not be repeatedly asked to him,” the lawyer said.
The CJM granted five days custody of Yuvaraj to the CB-CID officials and asked them to produce him on October 17.
The team led by CB-CID SP G. Nagajothi took Yuvaraj to the office of the CB-CID in Namakkal under tight security. Sources said that he would be quizzed based on the statements given by one of Gokulraj’s friend, family members and on his various statements on social media and television interviews. He is also expected to be taken to the crime spot where the beheaded body of Gokulraj was found on June 24.
One more held
The CB-CID arrested Amudarasan, friend of Yuvaraj, on charges of helping him. He was picked up by the CB-CID team on Sunday morning from Sankari after he garlanded the statue of Theeran Chinnamalai and attempted to proceed to Namakkal where Yuvaraj was to surrender.
After the CB-CID teams raided the house of Yuvaraj on October 9, Amudarasan had addressed the media stating that Yuvaraj would surrender on October 11. He was produced in the court on Monday evening and the magistrate sent him to Salem Central Prison.
