Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday told the Assembly that in the event of hooch-related deaths, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of the district concerned, and other jurisdictional police officers, would be held accountable.
“I had warned about this at a meeting of Collectors and SPs held after the Kallakurichi incident,” Mr. Stalin told the House, wrapping up the debate on the demands for grants to the Police and Fire and Rescue Services Departments.
A total of 65 persons have died in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy so far.
He questioned the AIADMK’s demand for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Kallakurichi incident. Referring to the remarks of the Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, that the DMK [while in the Opposition] had sought a CBI inquiry into the custodial deaths of two persons in Sattankulam [in June 2020], Mr. Stalin pointed out: “It does not matter whether two people or 20 people have died. Even the death of one person is a great loss. Since the AIADMK tried to suppress the matter [Sattanknulam incident] and twist it, we demanded a probe by the CBI into the incident. But, we have not hidden anything [in the Kallakurichi incident]. In a short time, the guilty were arrested. Not a single person can escape.”
Listing the steps taken by his government in the aftermath of the Kallakurichi incident, Mr. Stalin said that he had been advising the police to be as determined in the elimination of narcotics as in cases involving illicit liquor. In the last two years, authorities have seized 46 properties, worth ₹18.05 crore, belonging to those caught for ganja-smuggling.
On the Kodanad heist-cum-murder case, Mr. Stalin said 268 witnesses had been examined and phones and four SIM cards, used by the accused were sent to Coimbatore for forensic analysis. As the accused had received phone calls from international numbers, the case had to be investigated with the help of Interpol.
Mr. Stalin further pointed out that many religious events were peacefully conducted during the DMK regime, including the car festival of Swarnamutheeswarar temple in Kandadevi, Sivaganga district, held after an 18-year-gap.
Regretting the “AIADMK’s attitude” in the current session of the Assembly, Mr. Stalin pointed out that in the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the Opposition had targeted him and the “Dravidian model of governance.” However, the people gave a complete victory [to the DMK-led front]. A perusal of the election results would show that the DMK front had established a lead over others in 221 Assembly segments, he added.
Published - June 30, 2024 04:33 am IST
