Chennai: Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa had appointed a one-man commission to be headed by retired judge Justice S R Singaravelu to find out the truth of death of Ilavarasan. His body has been found near a railway track in Dharmapuri in western Tamil Nadu on Thursday last week. He was belonged from a Dalit family and married a girl from Vanniyar community.
Jayalalithaa said in her statement, “Social activists, political parties and individuals have been expressing various views (on the death). Ilavarasan’s father has also expressed doubts over his son’s death. Therefore, to probe the truth behind Ilavarasan’s death, I have ordered an inquiry commission under Justice S R Singaravelu.”
However, the Madras High Court today is also set to look into the petition filed by the family of Ilavarasan seeking a second autopsy on his body. The first report had revealed the 21-year-old died of a head injury.
Suspecting foul play, Ilavarasan’s family moved the court seeking clarity on whether it was a suicide or murder. The Madras High Court on Friday ordered the Tamil Nadu government to preserve Ilavarasan’s body till Tuesday.
Ilavarasan had married Divya from the Vanniyar community in August last year. Weeks after they eloped, Divya’s father committed suicide. After his death, nearly 200 huts owned by Dalits in and around Ilavasaran’s village of Dharmapuri were set on fire. Parties with a strong Dalit votebank blamed Divya’s community for the riots, and said the violence was backed by the PMK, headed by S Ramadoss and openly committed to preventing inter-caste marriages. Ilavasaran’s mother holds the PMK responsible for her son’s death while the party has denied any links to the tragedy. Now it is all depend on the decision of court and the commission appointed by Jayyalalithaa to know whether it is a suicide or honour killing.
Bureau Report
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