Amid the furore over the custodial death of temple security guard Ajith Kumar, it has now emerged that JP Nikita, the woman who accused him of theft, has a criminal record of fraud.
Nikita’s contradictory statements and a 2011 cheating case against her have cast doubts on her allegations, while the police’s failure to register an FIR and their brutal actions have sparked widespread outrage.
“I only filed a complaint of missing jewellery,” Nikita insisted while speaking to The Federal. “We learned of watchman Ajith Kumar’s death only when the police informed us. My mother and I are devastated, crying over this tragedy. How can we bear this sin?” she added.
“Yet, people are spreading false claims about us, linking us to DMK or saying we have IAS connections. The truth is, I’ve lost Rs 2 lakh to DMK functionaries and have no influence. Our lives have been turned upside down in a single day,” Nikita claimed.
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Contradictions in statements
Ajith, a 29-year-old watchman at the Madapuram Badrakaliamman Temple in Sivaganga district, was brutally tortured by a special police team investigating a theft complaint lodged by Nikita, who claimed that 10 sovereigns of gold jewellery, including a chain, went missing from her car on June 27.
Nikita’s initial complaint, detailed in a video she released, stated that she visited the temple with her mother, who, suffering from certain health issues, refused a medical scan and insisted on praying first. She alleged that Ajith, who assisted them with a wheelchair, demanded Rs 500, leading to an argument, after which she paid Rs 100.
Upon returning to her car after eating, she apparently realised that the jewellery was missing and lodged a police complaint. However, no FIR was registered, and a “special police team” took Ajith into illegal custody, brutally assaulting him at multiple locations, allegedly resulting in his tragic death.
Also read: Sivaganga custodial death: TN govt hands over case to CBI
Questions over police action
The police’s actions have already raised serious questions: Why was no FIR filed before Ajith being taken into custody? Why was he interrogated outside the police station? Who authorized his transfer to different locations over two days? Why was the post-mortem report not immediately sent to the magistrate?
Now, an even more crucial question has cropped up: Was there even any jewellery in the car? If so, why was it entrusted to a watchman?
Information obtained by The Federal reveals that Nikita, who lodged the theft complaint, was involved in a 2011 cheating case at Thirumangalam police station. The complainant, a man named Rajangam, alleged that Nikita and her family, including Sivakamiyammal, Kaliyaperumal, Kaviyarasu, Sakadevi, and Bhagat Singh, defrauded him of Rs 16 lakh by promising him government jobs (teacher or village administrative officer positions) through “connections” with the then-Deputy Chief Minister’s PA.
An FIR was filed under Section 420 (cheating), listing Nikita as the fifth accused and Sivakami Ammal as the primary accused. However, no further details on the case’s progress have been disclosed.
Also read: TN custodial death: HC orders judicial probe, says ‘a state has killed its own citizen’
Ever-changing narrative
Nikita’s recent statements to The Federal further complicate the narrative. Initially, she claimed she visited a scan centre before the temple, where the jewellery was removed, and later noticed it missing. Now, she insists they went straight to the temple, denying any stop at a scan centre or petrol pump.
She also claimed an officer from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department assisted her, but later said three officers were with her for four hours. Nikita denies exerting any pressure on the police, emphasizing her lack of influence and her status as an ordinary middle-class professor with no IAS or IPS connections.
The custodial death has ignited public fury, with opposition parties blaming the DMK government for the rising lock-up deaths. The Madurai Bench of the Chennai High Court has raised serious concerns, questioning why Ajith was interrogated without an FIR, the motive behind the brutal attack, and who pressured the police to act so aggressively.
Also read: Sivaganga custodial death: Madurai bench slams TN police, asks ‘why no FIR registered?’
Questions galore
Allegations suggest undue influence from the secretariat due to Nikita’s supposed IAS connections, which she vehemently denies. Five police officers from the special team have been arrested and charged with murder, while six others have been suspended.
Sivaganga SP Ashish Rawat has been placed on the waiting list, and Manamadurai DSP Shanmugasundaram has been suspended. The police’s attempt to pass off Ajith’s death as a result of a seizure has further fuelled allegations of a cover-up.
Now, more vexing questions have been added to the growing list: Who ordered the special team to act without registering an FIR? What was the motive behind the police’s brutal actions? Was Nikita’s complaint fabricated to settle a personal score? Why did Nikita entrust her car to a watchman if valuable jewellery was inside? What role did political or administrative pressure play in this tragedy?