Custody death: warrant issued against ex-DSP

Madurai: Madurai chief judicial magistrate K Selvapandi has issued a non-bailable warrant against former Manamadurai DSP N Shanmugasundaram, who was named as accused in a case pertaining to the custodial death of Madapuram temple security guard B Ajith Kumar in Thiruppuvanam in Sivaganga district.While taking on file the supplementary chargesheet filed by CBI, the court had earlier summoned Shanmugasundaram, besides then Thiruppuvanam inspector of police Rameshkumar, then SI Sivakumar and then head constable Ilayaraja, who were additionally named as accused in the custodial death case. As Shanmugasundaram failed to appear before it, the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him and posted the case to Mar 5.Ajith Kumar died during custodial interrogation on June 28, 2025 while he was working at the Batharakaliamman temple at Madapuram. He was picked up by police for interrogation in a case pertaining to alleged gold jewellery theft from a car owned by one Nikitha, in which she and her mother visited the temple the previous day. The state transferred the custodial death case and the connected jewellery theft case to CBI, which arrested six policemen. Initially, CBI filed the final report against six police personnel, and subsequently, a supplementary chargesheet naming four more as accused.