Tamil Nadu SHRC Orders Rs 10 Lakh Compensation, Probe into Suicide of Swati Murder Accused Ramkumar

CHENNAI: After years of waiting, the Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has ordered the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakhs to P Ramkumar's father Parasivam. P Ramkumar, the accused in the sensational Swati murder case, allegedly died by suicide in a prison by biting a live wire in September 2016.

Ramkumar was arrested for the sensational murder of a techie, S Swathi, in broad daylight at the Nugambakkam railway station in June 2016.

Commission member D Jayachandran ordered the compensation on suspicion of the statement of the prison authorities that Ramkumar died by committing suicide by biting into a live electrical wire at the Puzhal prison premises, holding that the State had failed in a miserable manner in its duty to protect a prisoner and has thereby violated his human rights. The compensation of Rs 10 lakhs is to be paid to the victim's father Paramasivam, the complainant in this case, within one month.

"The State government is also responsible for the death of Ramkumar in the prison and hence it is liable to pay compensation to the father of the deceased," the Commission added, while giving the direction.

Moreover, the Tamil Nadu SHR Commission has recommended that the state government should constitute an independent probe into the case and to check whether Ramkumar had actually died by suicide, as alleged by the concerned prison officials. The Commission further recommended that sufficient prison officials should be appointed by the Tamil Nadu government to "ensure the safety and security of the prisoners in their custody."

The order by the Commission says, "Considering the oral and documentary evidence of the parties and the prison authorities, there arises a suspicion in the mind of this Commission that whether the prisoner committed suicide by electrocution due to self-inflicted injuries or some other person electrocuted him."

It was also pointed out that the final report of an AIIMS doctor had stated that Ramkumar died of asphyxia, meaning suffocation or a condition arising when the body is deprived of oxygen, causing unconsciousness or death.

Prison officials at the Puzhal Central Prison, where Ramkumar was lodged in a high-security block, said that on September 18, 2016, he had asked a warder who was outside his cell, for water. The warder then opened the cell and allowed Ramkumar to drink water from a pot kept outside the cell. Suddenly, Ramkumar pulled a live wire from a nearby electrical switchboard and bit into, it is alleged. The warder said he pushed him away with his cane and cut off the power supply. The assistant surgeon at the prison hospital, by then, arrived at the spot and provided first aid to Ramkumar. He was taken to the Government Royapettah Hospital, where he was however declared dead on arrival.

The SHRC also was not satisfied by the report submitted by the Judicial Magistrate and also the final report of the Investigating Officer (IO) in the criminal case, and did not find it an acceptable one.

"The authorities, who had examined the witnesses and submitted their report, had not given any valid reason that Ramkumar committed suicide. Therefore, this Commission is of the considered opinion that an independent probe is very much essential to find out whether he committed suicide by pulling and biting into a live electric wire inside the prison, as claimed by the authorities," the SHRC added.

The doctor conducting the post-mortem, while stating in his report and also in his evidence, that Ramkumar died due to electrocution, could not say the death was caused due to self-inflicted injuries.

The Commission also noted that, in case of "injury No.9", the doctor had admitted that it should not have been self- inflicted by the deceased Ramkumar.

"Therefore, the points raised by the petitioner's counsel cannot be totally discarded," the commission stated.

After Ramkumar's death, his father Paramasivan had expressed concern and his suspicions over the conditions of his death. Based on the SHRC report, he had alleged that the death of his son was more of a homicide and that his son's human rights had been violated by the police and prison officials.

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