The Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for a thorough investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the mysterious death of KPK Jayakumar Dhanasingh, a prominent Congress functionary in Tirunelveli. Evidence discovered thus far suggests foul play, prompting suspicions of a planned murder.
The grim discovery of Dhanasingh’s half-burnt body, with his hands and legs tied with cable wires, sent shockwaves through the community. The sixty-year-old president of the Congress Tirunelveli East district unit was reported missing on May 2, only to be found days later in a garbage yard on his 10-acre farm in Karasisturapudhur near Thisaiyanvilai in Tirunelveli district.
Dhanasingh’s son, Karuthaiah Jefrin, lodged a formal complaint with the Uvari police station on May 3rd, prompting an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding his father’s death. The discovery of the charred remains, coupled with signs of restraint and evident attempts to destroy evidence, has raised suspicions of foul play.
Notably, Dhanasingh had penned a letter to the district superintendent of police (SP) Silambarasan on April 30th, expressing concerns over his safety. In his “dying declaration,” he detailed receiving death threats allegedly stemming from disputes over money and property. Dhanasingh implicated several individuals, including Congress Nanguneri MLA A Ruby R Manoharan, former temple trustee and panchayat president Anand Raja, retired Kuthalingam, quarry crusher unit owner Coimbatore Jesuraja, and school correspondent Edayankudi Jaikar, among others.
In addition to seeking police protection, Dhanasingh requested assistance in reclaiming his properties and recovering money owed to him by the aforementioned individuals. His plea for help, tragically, went unheeded, culminating in his untimely demise.
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The TN BJP spokesperson, ANS Prasad, has condemned the failure of the state police to take appropriate action in response to Dhanasingh’s plea for protection, citing it as a contributing factor to his tragic fate.
The slain leader accused eight people of threatening him following financial disputes and that he found suspicious movement of strangers near his house.
நெல்லை கிழக்கு மாவட்ட காங்கிரஸ் தலைவர் கொலை?#jayakumar pic.twitter.com/fsj5jRWLlD
— @JuniorVikatan (@JuniorVikatan) May 4, 2024
TN BJP leader K Annamalai took to social media platform X to express his dismay over the inaction of the police despite Dhanasingh’s prior complaint to the Superintendent of Police, Tirunelveli, citing threats to his life. Annamalai highlighted the apparent lack of response from the authorities and urged for a comprehensive inquiry into the matter. He specifically called for an investigation into all individuals mentioned in Dhanasingh’s complaint letter, including Nanguneri Congress legislator Ruby Manoharan and former state president of the Congress party Thangabalu.
Annamalai’s sentiments were echoed by TN BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad, who called for a CBI inquiry into Dhanasingh’s death, suspecting foul play. Prasad alleged internal politics within the Tirunelveli Congress unit and pointed to disputes between Dhanasingh and certain Congress functionaries regarding Lok Sabha campaign expenses and property matters. He underscored the gravity of Dhanasingh’s complaints to the district SP and lamented the lack of serious action by the police, which he attributed to the DMK’s control over law enforcement agencies.
காணாமல் போனதாகத் தேடப்பட்டு வந்த காங்கிரஸ் கட்சியின், நெல்லை கிழக்கு மாவட்டத் தலைவர் திரு. ஜெயக்குமார் அவர்கள் சடலமாக மீட்கப்பட்டுள்ளது மிகுந்த அதிர்ச்சியைத் தருகிறது.
கடந்த ஏப்ரல் 30 அன்றே, மாவட்டக் காவல் கண்காணிப்பாளரிடம், தனது உயிருக்கு ஆபத்து இருப்பதாக திரு.ஜெயக்குமார்… pic.twitter.com/Sbp76cc0fI
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) May 4, 2024
Prasad emphasised the need for a transparent investigation to uncover the truth behind Dhanasingh’s alleged murder, stressing that only a CBI probe could provide impartiality and accountability. He further raised concerns about the apparent indifference of the police, particularly given Dhanasingh’s prominent position within the Congress party and his family’s subsequent filing of a complaint following his alleged abduction and murder.
Prasad also said, “The brutal murder of a Congress leader shows the extent to which law and order has deteriorated in Tamil Nadu. If these kinds of violence are not contained with an iron fist, the law and order will completely deteriorate to the worst, and no one’s life is safe.”. He said whenever DMK comes to power, the drug peddlers, criminals involved in murders, robbery, sexual assault, and crimes against women will raise and become close to the DMK men.
Prasad also raised doubts about the connection between the murdered functionary and the Congress leaders and candidates of Lok Sabha elections. PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss called for a CBI probe into Jayakumar’s suspicious death. TNCC president Selvaperunthagai favoured a thorough and fair probe to find out those behind the death of Jayakumar.
