Tamil Nadu youth implicated in elephant poaching found deceased, PMK demands CBI investigation
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Synopsis
The PMK has demanded a CBI investigation into the suspicious death of Senthil Kumar, a youth accused in an elephant poaching case in Tamil Nadu, raising serious concerns about potential foul play during his custody.
Key Takeaways
- PMK protests for CBI inquiry into Senthil Kumar's death.
- Concerns raised over custody treatment by Forest Department.
- Body found without handcuffs, raising foul play suspicions.
- Compensation of Rs 50 lakh demanded for Kumar’s family.
- Poaching incident involved a young tusker, shocking local community.
Chennai, April 7 (NationPress) The PMK, the political entity representing the notable Vanniyar community, has initiated a protest demanding a CBI investigation into the mysterious death of a young man implicated in an elephant poaching incident in Tamil Nadu.
In a statement released on Monday, PMK founder Dr. S. Ramadoss expressed grave concerns about the demise of Senthil Kumar, a youth from Dharmapuri district, who was reportedly tortured and murdered while in the custody of the Forest Department.
Dr. Ramadoss indicated that Senthil, along with his father Govindaraj and brother Sakthi, was detained for questioning by forest officials on March 17. The family, however, received no updates about their status for several days. Following a police report, Sakthi was returned home, but Govindaraj was arrested related to the poaching of a tusker.
The Forest Department stated that Senthil allegedly managed to escape while in handcuffs during a field visit to the incident site. However, his decomposed remains were discovered 15 days later in the Eriyur reserve forest. The department claimed he committed suicide after fleeing custody, but Dr. Ramadoss and human rights advocates suspect foul play.
“Why did the Forest Department conceal information from the family for three days? Why was entry into Kongarapatti forest, where the body was found, restricted from March 18 to April 4?” questioned Dr. Ramadoss.
He also noted that the body was found without handcuffs and next to a gun -- casting doubt on the suicide narrative.
Activists accuse the department of intentionally delaying the discovery of the body to obscure the true cause of death.
Dr. Ramadoss further charged forest officials with murdering Senthil to prevent him from disclosing incriminating evidence about their operations.
Seeking justice, the PMK leader called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry and compensation of Rs 50 lakh for Senthil’s family.
It is important to note that Senthil Kumar was the primary suspect in the poaching of a young tusker, aged between 7 and 10 years. The elephant's mutilated and partially charred remains were discovered on March 1 in the Pennagaram forest range -- a rare and brutal poaching case in the region. On March 18, Senthil was arrested along with his father, brother-in-law, and another relative from Kongarapatti village.
The Forest Department contended that during a site identification tour, Senthil escaped by leaping over a cave -- even while handcuffed. However, skepticism grew after his wife sought police information, leading to speculation that Senthil might have been shot and left to die.
District Forest Officer K. Rajangam insisted that the escape occurred in the presence of relatives and that his staff were unarmed. He stated that the body was located by forest personnel and that the Eriyur police had taken over the investigation.
The discovery of the body -- located just 1 km from Senthil’s residence -- has intensified calls for a thorough investigation, with mounting pressure on the state government to guarantee transparency and justice in this matter.
