SIVAGANGA: Mother of B Ajith Kumar, an alleged victim of a fatal custodial torture here last year, demanded on Thursday that since her son has been legally cleared of theft charges, the woman who filed the "false complaint" that led to the police action should be arrested immediately.
"That Nikitha should be arrested. We need to know who told her to do this and why she gave a false report. Therefore, Nikitha should be arrested first. Those five (policemen) should never come out (of jail)," B Malathy said.
On June 27, 2025, Nikitha, a resident of Thirumangalam, Madurai, visited a temple in Madapuram here with her elderly mother. She reportedly requested Ajith Kumar, a temporary temple security guard, to park her vehicle because her mother had difficulty walking. Later that day, she filed a complaint at the Thirubuvanam police station, alleging that 10 sovereigns of gold jewellery (approximately 80 grams) were missing from a bag inside her car. Subsequently, Ajith Kumar was picked up by the police.
He later died following alleged torture.
In a major breakthrough in the case, the CBI which is probing the case informed the Madras High Court on February 4 that the deceased, facing theft allegations, was innocent.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Malathy welcomed the CBI's findings.
"The judges have now made it clear that my son was not a thief. This brings some peace, but the pain of losing him remains. I want to know why I wasn't informed when he was taken by the police at 11am. They kept him until 2 pm without a word to us," she said.
While expressing relief over the court's observations, Malathy broke down as she recounted the ordeal.
Alleging brutal torture, the woman claimed that the police treated her son "like a terrorist".
"They hung him from a tree and tortured him. They even used chilli powder. Is there any law that says you shouldn't even give water to a person. My son died in agony because of these people," she added.
The family’s counsel, briefing the media on the proceedings of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, stated that Justice Srimathi had directed the CBI to file a status report by February 17.
The report is expected to detail whether the theft occurred, the extent of police involvement, and the role of higher-ranking officials.
"The CBI has prepared a 90-page chargesheet, which confirms that Ajith Kumar did not steal any jewellery. The agency is expected to file this in court shortly. For six months, this family lived under the stigma of being labelled thieves; today, they are vindicated," the counsel said.
The counsel also alleged that the complaint was a "pre-planned fabrication" intended to extort jewellery.
The press conference highlighted the plight of four other youths -- Naveen Kumar, Praveen Kumar, Arun, and Vinoth -- who were allegedly picked up and assaulted alongside Ajith. The counsel noted that Arun, an auto-driver, has lost his livelihood due to the social stigma, while Praveen suffered a ruptured eardrum during the interrogation.
While the state government has provided land as compensation, the family stated that the plot is located in an isolated area, making it difficult for them to reside there due to safety concerns. They have urged the government to provide a job for the surviving son to support the elderly mother.
Currently, six police personnel, including a driver, are facing legal proceedings in connection with the case.