New Delhi, August 3, 2009
Suresh alias Sura fell victim to police bullet at Ibrahim Street in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on the night preceding 18th November, 2002. The mother of the victim in a complaint alleged that her son was picked up from the house on 13th November, 2002 then killed in a fake encounter. The police claimed that Suresh was a habitual offender involved in many criminal cases. On the night of the incident, when they tried to stop his motor cycle he did not heed to their signals and in stead attacked a Sub-Inspector with a knife and also threw a bomb at the police party.
The ADM, Chennai probing the incident observed that the police had tried to exaggerate injuries sustained by the Sub-Inspector and there was no proof of bomb blast at the spot. The Magistrate concluded that the police had fired at Suresh with an intention to kill him.
On consideration of this report, the Commission issued show cause notice to the Tamil Nadu Government in response to which it submitted that departmental action against the delinquent police personnel had already been initiated. The State Government also conveyed that it was considering to sanction one lakh rupees as financial relief to the family of the deceased.
The Commission in its proceedings on 22nd July, 2009 observed that deceased Suresh alia Sura may have had criminal antecedents, but that could not be a justification to eliminate him and his dependents deserved to be adequately compensated in financial terms. The Commission recommended the Tamil Nadu Government to pay a sum of three lakh rupees instead of one lakh rupees as monetary relief to Suresh's next of kin and called for a compliance report with proof of payment within eight weeks after the receipt of the communication.
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