Tribal man’s death in Udumalpet: Forester, watcher suspended

COIMBATORE: A forester and a watcher have been placed under suspension following a tribal man's custodial death at the Udumalpet forest range office.

Deputy director of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (Tirupur forest division) B Rajesh suspended forester Nimal and watcher Senthilkumar on Friday.

P Marimuthu, 58, of Melgurumalai tribal settlement in Udumalpet was found dead in a toilet at the forest range office in the early hours of Thursday. He was detained by forest officers at Chinnar checkpost on Wednesday evening while he was going to Munnar, where he runs a provision store. He was held for allegedly possessing a leopard's tooth.

On Thursday morning, a statement from the Udumalpet forest department stated that Marimuthu hanged himself in a toilet on the forest office premises.

However, the family members of Marimuthu found the circumstances suspicious and lodged a complaint with the Udumalpet police. The police registered a custodial death case.

A judicial inquiry began on Friday. Judicial magistrate T Nithyakala inspected Marimuthu's body at the Tirupur Government Hospital mortuary. Marimuthu's wife Pandeeswari said, "Injuries were observed on his body, including on the head, arms, and neck. A case should be registered against those involved under the SC & ST Act."

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