Saravanan, a 42-year-old sadhu, has allegedly committed suicide at a place near Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s village after he was humiliated by a group of policemen led by a local sub-inspector.
https://twitter.com/LegalLro/status/1296984124184567811?s=20The sadhu, in a video sent to his friends and posted on social media, has said that sub-inspector Anthony Michael was responsible for his “depression” since he had humiliated him. Reportedly, the Sadhu used to sit at his home and attended devotees coming to him. On 14 August, two women who had reported of being possessed by ghosts came to the Sadhu in a semi-naked position. Interestingly, a group of policemen from Thevur police station also landed at his place at that time and beat him up.
SI Anthony Michael also rushed to the spot and allegedly thrashed him after abusing him. Some people reportedly said the police beat him up when he was eating a packet of food given by a woman devotee.
https://twitter.com/ItsMeHe19712130/status/1297016327480082433?s=20
Following the attack on him, the Hindu Sadhu went missing the next morning. As local people and his friends began a search next day, his friends received his video on Whatsapp in which he said that the police beating had led to his depression.
Later, on 15th August his decomposed body was found in that area and the police found a mobile near the body. “Sub-inspector Anthony Michael beat me up thinking he can do anything with the power he got,” the sadhu alleged in the video.
Family allege police brutality led to death
After the death of the Hindu Sadhu, the police officials have filed the case as an unnatural death case, thus raising doubts over the credibility of the investigation, who are now accused of protecting the SI.
Meanwhile, the son and daughter of victim Saravanan said to the local media that the SI had brutally attacked their father. “Dad was upset at being attacked in front of his family and did not speak to us and left home on Saturday morning. But his body was found in a forest area”, he recalled the events.
Saravanan is survived by his wife, a daughter and son. They have requested the authorities to initiate action against SI Anthony.
Hindus demands justice
The social media users have demanded justice to the Hindu Sadhu and also pointed out how the media in Tamil Nadu have chosen silence over the death as in this case the deceased is a Hindu.
The netizens trended #JusticeForSaravanan on Twitter and criticised Tamil media’s hypocrisy for ignoring the mysterious death of the Hindu Sadhu, who was brutally beaten by the Hindu Sadhu.
Meanwhile, Hindu groups such as Hindu Makkal Katchi has said that a protest across Tamil Nadu to seek justice for Hindu Sadhu Saravanan.