Ramkumar death: Meenakshipuram villagers, Dalit outfits stage road roko

TIRUNELVELI: Villagers of Meenakshipuram along with cadres of Dalit outfits staged a road blockade near Tenkasi on Monday, demanding a judicial enquiry into the death of Ramkumar, accused in the Chennai techie Swathi murder case, inside the Puzhal central prison on Sunday.

Initially, there were only a few relatives of Ramkumar and villagers on the Meenakshipuram-Panpozhi road, but were later joined by around 300 cadres of Dalit parties like the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Puthiya Tamilagam (PT) and Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK).

On the advice of the Dalit outfits, villagers shifted the venue of the road blockade to the busier Tenkasi-Shengottai road, affecting traffic flow. Demanding a judicial enquiry into the reported suicide of Ramkumar in the prison by a sitting high court judge, the agitators also pressed for the transfer of the Swathi murder case to the CBI as they apprehended “tricks” by the Chennai police enquiring into the case, to protect the real murderers of Swathi. The villagers also sought a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to Ramkumar’s family.

Around 10 members of the Dalit protection movement in Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district, sat on a fast unto death near Ambedkar statue, demanding a judicial enquiry into the death of Ramkumar.