Wednesday, September 14, 2011

John Pandian visits victims at hospital

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/John-Pandian-visits-victims-at-hospital/articleshow/9986720.cms



John Pandian visits victims at hospital

TNN | Sep 15, 2011, 02.40AM IST
MADURAI: Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder P John Pandian visited the victims of the Paramakudi violence in Government Rajaji Hospital here on Wednesday and enquired about their health.

Condemning the police action, Pandian later told reporters that a case of murder should be registered against South Zone IG Rajesh Das as well as other senior police officials including deputy commissioner K A Senthilvelan.

John Pandian started from Tirunelveli around 9 am, tailed by a number of supporters in about 10 vehicles. Police officials along with the striking force also followed them closely in a bid to step in if there were untoward incidents along the road to Madurai. Police personnel were deployed on either side of the road in sensitive places all along the Tirunelveli-Madurai highway.

Pandian was received by Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi state general secretary Chinthanai Selvam and others in Thirumangalam. Pandian remained at the hospital for about 45 minutes from 11 am, meeting the victims admitted in various wards there. He later visited Apollo hospital where one victim was admitted.

The government hospital at Madurai was also virtually taken control of by the police where city commissioner P Kannappan personally kept vigil till Pandian left.

After meeting the victims, Pandian told reporters that the police had brutally attacked dalits at Paramakudi. "Hence the state government should book murder cases against senior police officials involved in the firing,'' he said.

Alleging that chief minister J Jayalalithaa's statement defending the police firing at Paramakudi was prepared by police officials, he alleged that the officials had hidden the truth from her.

Narrating the development that led to his detention, Pandian said the police had requested him to avoid attending funeral rites of the 16-year-old dalit boy who was murdered on September 9. "I agreed to it. I was permitted by the Ramanathapuram district collector and police officials to attend the death anniversary celebration of Immanuel Sekaran on September 11 between 3 pm and 5 pm, but suddenly they cancelled permission and detained me,'' he alleged. "It was not fair,'' he said.

Pandian then demanded a CBI inquiry into the firing and said he planned to file a petition with the national commission of SC/STs as well as the national human rights commission.

He then submitted a petition to district collector U Sagayam and city police commissioner P Kanappan, seeking action against the police officer who was involved in the shootout at Chinthamani in Madurai on the same day.

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