The Hindu : Probe Omalur shootout: rights activists

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 29, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Probe Omalur shootout: rights activists

By R. Ilangovan

SALEM, FEB. 28. Rights activists have accused the Salem police of stage-managing the killing of Karnan, a remand prisoner against whom murder and dacoity cases were registered, in Wednesday's shootout near Omalur.

They demanded a thorough enquiry into what they alleged was a cold-blooded murder.

K. Haribanu, State coordinator, Centre for Protection of Civil Liberties (CPCL) - Tamil Nadu, said a person however guilty should be brought before the appropriate forum of justice. ``The police should prove their innocence before court.''

Meanwhile, the police had a tough time getting to make Karnan's relatives accept the body after post-mortem. After intervention by senior revenue and police officials, they took away the body this morning.

The police alleged that women relatives snatched away a video camera from a police videographer. It was, however, retrieved.

Earlier Karnan's father and his relatives met the District Revenue Officer, P. Rajesh, and submitted a memorandum, demanding a probe into the killing.

Karnan (37) was killed when he attempted to escape from police custody. The police claimed that while fleeing, he snatched a service revolver from a sub-inspector and shot at him in the arm. He also fired at an inspector, who returned the fire in self-defence. A preliminary enquiry by the RDO was already conducted.

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