Chennai:
More than 24-hours after a Chennai teenager, Dilshan, was killed by a bullet while picking almonds, with his friends, inside the Island Grounds Army Residential complex, the mystery around who shot him persists.
The 13-year-old's family is bewildered and shattered. Dilshan's father Kumar asked, "Is this the way to treat children? They could have beaten and warned him. Why should he be shot dead?"
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for the boy's family. The case will now be handled by the Crime Branch of the Criminal Investigations Department (CB-CID) of the Tamil Nadu Police because of its complexity. Ordering the CID probe, Jayalalithaa also demanded the army hand over those behind Dilshan's killing.
"The case has come to CB-CID. Our officers and local officers are investigating. Any further information, we will let you know," said R Sekar, the CID chief who visited the Island Grounds residential complex today.
Preliminary forensic evidence suggests Dilshan was shot in the head from a range of about 20 feet. The police is trying to trace the origin of the bullet that killed the teenager. Investigators are also waiting for the detailed post-mortem report, expected soon, that may hold out stronger evidence.
Army, in a brief statement, maintained that "there was no armed guard located at the compound at any time." It said it would extend all cooperation to local police in the joint investigation to "identify the culprit and bring the individual responsible to justice".
''The local station commander made a statement yesterday and said there is no armed guard in that area. We are fully cooperating with the civil police and you will know soon", said the Army Vice-Chief, Lieutenant General AS Lamba.