Prabhakar, the brother of M Prabhu, 29, an Indian Army soldier, who was allegedly killed by a DMK councillor in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district, said his “brother was beaten up by steel rod and knife”, and he was also beaten by six-seven people.
“I was beaten by six-seven people. After that, my brother who died was beaten up by a steel rod and knife. He was in ICU for six days but eventually passed away,” news agency ANI quoted Prabhakar as saying.
“Our brawl broke out when we were washing clothes during the day. Then in the evening the councillor came to our home, started abusing my father and then attacked him with a knife,” he said.
Prabhakar demanded justice and said he will not return to the force until those who killed my brother are punished.
“Until they are punished, I’m not leaving (to join duty). We didn’t do anything wrong. I worked in the Force for 13 years and came here for a month and this is what I see. He (DMK councilor Chinnasamy) said that ‘you might be working in the Indian Army but can’t do anything to me’. He told me directly. My brother is dead now, he has two children,” India Today quoted Prabhakar as saying.
The wife of Prabhu said he fell down. He was admitted to a hospital in Kaveripattinam, where was in serious condition.
Prabhu, who was posted in Srinagar with the Military Police, had been to his native Vellampatti village, Poochampally, on leave. He was expected to report for duty on February 10, according to Rama Nandagopal, president of Krishnagiri district BJP Ex-Servicemen Wing.
But on February 8, an altercation ensued between the DMK functionary Chinnaswamy and Prabhu and Prabhakaran, serving as gunner in the Indian Army, over washing clothes near the town panchayat’s water tank.
The DMK councillor was arrested along with his accomplices in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district, police said on Wednesday.
The brawl escalated to an extent that the DMK councillor along with nine persons allegedly attacked Prabhu, and his brother later that day.
Based on Prabhakaran’s complaint, the Krishnagiri Police has arrested Chinnasamy and nine others including Chinnasamy’s son Rajapandi.
Prabhu who was undergoing treatment in a private hospital at Hossur, succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday night. BJP senior leader Khushbu Sundar took an aim at the ruling DMK and questioned the deteriorating law and order condition in the State.
Taking to Twitter the BJP leader said, “Where are we heading? A serving soldier has been murdered by a DMK functionary. Shame on us if we remain silent even now. @mkstalinavl, is this the much-hyped vidiyal people voted for? Goondaism & failing law & order in my State in scaring & worrying too.”
“The attackers should be given maximum punishment to serve as deterrent to others,” Isaivanan, who is state secretary, BJP Ex-servicemen Wing, said.
Veteran Lt Col N Thiagarajan, who is senior vice president of TN Akhil Bharatiya Poorva Sainik Parishad, said the DMK councillor and his aides beating a soldier to death is unfortunate and highly condemnable. “This is very disturbing. Stringent action should be taken on the attackers,” he said.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
