Slain Hindu Munnani leader was warned of threat to his life, say police

“As early as 2013, we had warned him about the threat to his life. We had asked him to take the threat perception seriously and act accordingly,” a senior police official said. He said police had come to the conclusion only after looking into “several factors” over a “period of time” and such inputs needed to have been taken seriously. Had Sasikumar been cautious, his murder may have been averted, he added.

On the probe to bring the culprits to book, he said, “The probe is continuing. We are looking into not any one aspect, motive or assumption. The investigation is proceeding on right lines and we are also aware of the sensitivities involved in the case.”

The police official also said the slain Hindu Munnani leader should have been careful “while expressing his views on issues, whether the issue is a sensitive one or not,” so as to ensure that “nobody is offended.” 

Some of his comments were “considered offensive” by a section of people, he added.

Asked for his outfit’s comments, Hindu Munnani state secretary, C Parameswaran said, “When leaders of Hindu outfits are killed, police come up with strange motives like personal enmity even before concluding a proper investigation,” he alleged. He said if police had taken appropriate action, “many Hindu leaders” would not have been killed in Tamil Nadu in the last two decades. Sasikumar was hacked to death on September 22 in Coimbatore following which incidents of violence were witnessed. 

Meanwhile, another Hindu unnani man Anandkumar (31), who attempted self-immolation on October 3 fearing police arrest for his participation in the violent protest post death of Sasikumar in Coimbatore, on Saturday succumbed to injuries. 

Anandkumar of Mettur who was undergoing treatment in the ICU of the government hospital did not respond to the treatment. After the post-mortem, the body was handed over to his kin and the cremation took place in the same evening.

Anatha kumar’s elder brother Ranjith Kumar, is undergoing treatment in the government hospital.