Chennai:
Parents of Ilavarasan, the Dalit young man who was found dead a fortnight ago near a railway track in Dharmapuri, are seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI or a Special Investigation Team or SIT.
Ilavarasan's father, Mr Ilango who spoke to the press in Chennai today alleged that the Tamil Nadu police was trying to close the case as suicide without probing the murder angle despite having "lots of information and evidences".
The family's counsel Mr NGR Prasad said, "The state government is worried of a law and order problem if it is found to be a case of murder; it is worried that this case would expose the oppression against Dalits in the state."
Last year, the Dalit youngster Ilavarasan had married Divya, a young woman from the Vanniyar community. Her father committed suicide a few weeks later in shame. In riots that followed, around 250 Dalit homes were set on fire, allegedly by Vanniyars, backed by the Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK.
Ilavarasan was found dead a day after Divya told the media that she would not return to her husband, citing memories of her father and continuing animosity between both communities. The following day, Ilavarasan was found dead near the railway track.
The first autopsy report said Ilavarasan died of a head injury. The report of the second autopsy conducted on direction of the Madras High Court by experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences or AIIMS is still with the court and yet to be handed over to his parents.
Ilavarasan's family also suspects the police could have intimidated their son's close friend Mr Manoj and another relative Mr Arivalagan to give a statement to corroborate their suicide theory.
Off record, the police deny these charges. The Tamil Nadu police have not made any formal statements yet on the issue. But police sources say it is a case of suicide.
They claim that the scientific examination of the suicide note they recovered a few days after Ilavarasan was found dead has established the handwriting to be his. They also claim to have retrieved a recorded telephone conversation between Ilavarasan and Divya from his phone in which he had threatened to kill himself.
The PMK which had campaigned to end Dalits marrying non-Dalits has denied any role in this.
The Tamil Nadu government has already appointed a one-man commission headed by retired Judge Justice Singaravelu to probe Ilavarasan's death. Now with his family pointing fingers at the government and the police machinery, pressure is mounting on the Tamil Nadu government to hand over the case to the CBI or a SIT.