Madurai Bench of Madras HC orders CB-CID probe into death of five members of a family
Jul 04, 2024
By Km Kathiravan
Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 4 : The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has ordered a CB-CID investigation into the deaths of five family members in Sivakasi, Virudhunagar district.
The police have identified the deceased as Lingam, 45 years old, and his wife Palaniammal, 47 years old, who were both teachers at a government primary school. They have a daughter, Anandavalli, who is 27 years old, and a son, Aditya, who is 14 years old. Anandavalli is married and has a 2-month-old child named Sasthika, who lives in Sivakasi.
As per the police, due to a debt problem, on May 22nd, Lingam poisoned Aditya, Anandavalli, and Sasthika before both Lingam and his wife Palaniammal committed suicide.
Justice Pugalendhi directed the CB-CID to investigate the case, citing the improper conduct of the trial. The court heard bail petitions from three accused - B Manivanan, S Murugan, and V Murugan - who were arrested by Thiruthangal police for allegedly lending loans with high interest rates to the deceased.
The lawyer appearing on behalf of the petitioners said that they did not ask for much interest from the deceased and did not harass the family. The family has taken loans from many people and is unable to repay them. It is reported that family members have committed suicide. The state informed that six people have been charged in this case.
Earlier, the court had observed that the police conducted the investigation mechanically. Although the incident took place on May 23, the police did not collect information about whether the petitioners were doing any financial business or were in the habit of collecting usurious interest.
Before the suicide, the deceased couple filed a case against 33 people in the Sivakasi District Munseeb Court. The court said that it is not known how the police registered a case against only six people. The court dismissed the bail pleas.
