Following the news of the illegal custodial death of temple guard Ajith Kumar, JP Niktha — a Botany HoD at M.V.M. Government Women’s Arts College in Dindigul — has gone missing amid serious allegations of cheating and misuse of power.
Sources allege that Niktha, driven by personal vengeance after an ego clash with Ajith Kumar over a payment dispute for the use of a wheelchair for her mother, publicly argued with him. Reportedly seeking to “teach him a lesson” using her high-level connections, Niktha allegedly influenced officials, leading police to detain Ajith Kumar without filing an FIR. He was then brutally assaulted in custody, ultimately resulting in his death.
The High Court strongly criticised the police for their actions in the custodial death of temple guard Ajith Kumar, questioning the logic behind arresting and assaulting him like a terrorist without even registering a case. The court also issued a set of directives to prevent such abuse of power in the future.
The woman behind the complaint, JP Nikitha (49), a Botany Head of Department at M.V.M. Government Women’s Arts College in Dindigul, had accused Ajith Kumar of stealing jewellery from a bag kept in the back seat of her car. However, it has since come to light that Nikitha herself is facing serious allegations. At least three pending cheating cases have been registered against her and her family in Madurai district.
On July 3, several individuals came forward with fresh accusations of fraud against Nikitha. She is alleged to have taken money from job seekers by falsely promising government employment, claiming close ties with the Chief Minister’s family and personal assistant. In one case, three people reportedly gave her a total of ₹16 lakhs, one of whom is a relative. When asked to return the money after failing to secure jobs, Nikitha allegedly threatened the complainants.
Six individuals have submitted petitions seeking action in connection with cheating cases dating back to 2010 and 2011. These revelations have cast serious doubt on the credibility of Nikitha’s theft complaint against Ajith Kumar.
Adding to her record, in 2024, a group of students from her department filed a formal complaint with the Dindigul District Collector, accusing Nikitha of ongoing verbal harassment and mental abuse.
Thirumaran, founder of the South Indian Forward Bloc and former husband of Nikitha, has levelled serious allegations against her and her family, accusing them of long-standing fraud, legal extortion, and misuse of bureaucratic connections. Speaking to the media, Thirumaran claimed that Nikitha has a history of entering brief marriages, filing false dowry cases, and extorting large sums of money — a pattern he says affected at least five men over the past 20 years.
“She would leave either on the wedding day, before the ceremony, or on the first night. I had to pay ₹10 lakh just to get a divorce,” he stated.
Meanwhile, reports from the Coimbatore-Pollachi region indicate that locals recognised Nikitha, confronted her, and briefly detained her. However, she soon left the scene in a car accompanied by her mother and a driver. Eyewitnesses reported the vehicle was headed toward Coimbatore. A hotel staff member is said to have recorded a video of the incident, and audio clips of conversations with the police during the confrontation are now circulating online.
Nikitha’s statements to the police, media, and public have reportedly shown several inconsistencies, raising further questions about her credibility in the Ajith Kumar custodial death case.
In a related development, M. Saktheeswaran, the key witness who submitted the viral video capturing plainclothes policemen brutally assaulting Ajith Kumar, has alleged threats to his life. He submitted a petition to DGP Shankar Jiwal requesting protection. Following his plea, authorities have now assigned two armed police personnel to provide him with round-the-clock security.
Meanwhile, Fourth Additional District Judge John Sundarlal Suresh has completed his inquiry into the custodial death case. The State Human Rights Commission has also taken suo motu cognisance, acting on a detailed report published by an English daily.
அஜித்குமார் கொலை வழக்கு; மாநில மனித உரிமை ஆணையம் நோட்டீஸ்#CustodialDeath | #TNPolice | #Sivaganga | #Tiruppuvanam | #PoliceStation | #AjithKumar pic.twitter.com/by1K2iGMXQ
— PttvOnlinenews (@PttvNewsX) July 3, 2025
The post-mortem report of Ajith Kumar has confirmed that he was subjected to severe custodial torture, revealing multiple external and internal injuries. The report documents 44 separate injuries, including abrasions with dark red scabs on his forehead, right cheek, eyebrow, limbs, and upper chest. It also notes petechial hemorrhages in both parietal lobes of the brain, brain tissue congestion, internal bleeding in the brain, heart, and abdominal regions, and even burn marks consistent with cigarette torture — all discovered 18 hours after the autopsy began.
Amid growing outrage, Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran has demanded that Chief Minister MK Stalin reveal who is behind the threats to M. Saktheeswaran, the key eyewitness who filmed the assault and later sought protection from the DGP. Nagendran asked, “Who is threatening Saktheeswaran? And who from the Secretariat in Chennai pressured the police to illegally detain and interrogate Ajith Kumar?”
He further questioned the suspicious circumstances around Nikitha’s complaint of missing gold jewellery that led to Ajith Kumar’s arrest. “Nikitha has a history of fraud — a cash-for-job scam was registered against her in 2011, where she duped people by falsely claiming she had access to the Chief Minister’s personal secretary. Was it her proximity to the DMK high command that enabled this illegal inquiry into Ajith Kumar?” he asked.
முதல்வரின் நேர்முக உதவியாளருக்கும் நிகிதாவுக்கும் என்ன தொடர்பு ?!
மேலிடத்து உத்தரவின் பேரில்தான் அஜித்குமார் கட்டத்தபட்டு அடித்தே கொல்லபட்டாரா ? https://t.co/ZGN8yM65Xv
— Selva Kumar (@Selvakumar_IN) July 3, 2025
Reports indicate that following Ajith Kumar’s death, Nikitha has been absent from college and has not reported for duty.
