CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday called upon Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to immediately provide appropriate compensation to the families of those who died in police custody.

He claimed that Meena, the wife of Murugan, who allegedly died in police custody in Sankarankoil in the state in March 2024, has not yet been awarded compensation. Nor was this daily wage earner given a job, despite the Madurai bench of the High Court ordering a government job for her.

"Reports indicate that the DMK government has not provided Meena with a government job or even provided her relief so far," Palaniswami said in a post on the social media platform X.

"Mr. Stalin, what is your response to the plight of Meena, who lost her husband because of your police, and is struggling with three children, working for a daily wage of Rs 300?" the former Chief Minister asked.

Raising the issue of the alleged custodial death of temple security guard, Thiruppuvanam Ajith Kumar, Palaniswami alleged that the affected family claimed that a job and land offered by the state government as compensation “in a hurry” were not suitable for them.

"There seems to be no steps to prevent the lockup deaths, nor the will to provide compensation to the victims' families. What more proof is required to say that this is an anti-people regime," Palaniswami said in the post.

He further said, “I urge the @mkstalin model DMK government to immediately provide appropriate compensation to the families of those who died in lockup”.