Nagercoil prison murder: CB-CID file chargesheet

NAGERCOIL: The CB-CID police filed a chargesheet in the Nagercoil court on Monday in connection with the murder of a trader inside the prison.

The victim, Sabarivarman, 34, a differently-abled petty shop owner from Eethankattai near Suchindram in Kanniyakumari district, had been arrested by the Thenthamaraikulam police on July 9 for allegedly possessing banned tobacco products.

He was remanded to the Nagercoil District Prison, where he allegedly died on July 13 after being assaulted by three prison personnel and eight prisoners.

The CB-CID investigation revealed that a prison warden assaulted Sabarivarman on the night of the incident after inmates told him that the victim was shouting inside the cell, demanding to meet his wife and children.

Meanwhile, the eight prisoners had gone for kitchen duty. When they returned, the warden allegedly instigated them to assault the victim again as he persisted in his demand to be allowed to go home.

The accused allegedly tied Sabarivarman’s hands and legs with a lungi and intensified the assault. When the victim managed to free his hands, the accused allegedly became furious, tore the lungi, tied him up again and continued the assault, which resulted in his death, the investigation further revealed.

The Nesamony Nagar police arrested prison warden Jagan, chief warden Suresh, prison guard Sivakumar and eight prisoners: Vishnu, Sarathi, Jagan, Sarath, Perumal, Sethuram, Ajith and Aravind. After the investigation was transferred to the CB-CID, the Nesamony Nagar police handed over all case records to the agency.

The investigators also examined the eight prisoners lodged in Palayamkottai Central Prison and the three prison personnel lodged in Nanguneri Sub-Jail. The trial of the case is being heard in the Nagercoil Judicial Magistrate Court No 1.